Defrocking a predator-Vatican does too little, too late

The news that Nicholas Aguilar-Rivera has been defrocked by the Vatican is of little relief to those that have been wounded and those of us that have been advocating for the protection of children in Mexico and the U.S. It begs the questions: if the Vatican and church authorities, Catholic hierarchy can remove him now in 2009, why didn’t they remove him when the first report of rape in Tehuacan and throughout Mexico was made by the then Bishop of Tehuacan now Cardinal Rivera. Why did Cardinal Rivera with a long history of rape of children by Nicholas Aguilar simply move him and send him to L.A. where Cardinal Mahony received him and placed him in parishes? Why did Cardinal Mahony allow him to serve in parishes where he raped according to the L.A. Police Department investigation 22 kids in a period of nine months at two parishes in L.A.? Why did Cardinal Mahony and his lieutenants facilitate his hasty departure from L.A. once the police investigation and allow his return to Mexico where he’s been a fugitive since raping and pillaging the souls of innocent children throughout the land? I applaud the courage of survivor Joaquin Aguilar who first came to us several years ago and in whose name we brought suit both in L.A. and then did a press conference in Mexico. Since that time several other victims and survivors have come forward the most recent of which is a case that we filed with the firm of Kiesel, Boucher & Larson and Tony De Marco entitled Doe v. the Archdiocese. You can view the complaint at http://www.andersonadvocates.com/. If you have any information about the whereabouts of Nicholas Aguilar-Rivera who is still at large, please notify the police and let us know so we can facilitate the capture of this predator and those responsible for allowing him to remain a priest and predator at large.