NEW ORLEANS — Former Catholic Priest Lawrence Hecker was sentenced to life in prison without parole Wednesday morning.
Hecker, 93, pleaded guilty to all counts on December 3- aggravated rape, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated crime against nature, and theft for suffocating a teenage boy until he was unconscious and raping him in a church in 1975.
Earlier in the proceeding, the victim who pressed the case that led to Hecker’s guilty plea described his rape in gut-wrenching detail, our reporting partner at The Guardian said.
“I don’t forgive him,” said the victim, who was about 16 when the cleric assaulted him in 1975 at a church next to a high school that the then-teenager attended.
Alluding to how Hecker’s superiors protected him from law enforcement authorities for decades, he added: “In my opinion, the archdiocese should be sitting there with him – because they are complicit in this as well.”
Other victims who endured sexual abuse at the hands of Hecker, now 93, and were prepared to testify at the trial averted by the cleric’s guilty plea on 3 December also spoke at Wednesday’s sentencing hearing, including one who dismissed him as “an animal”.
"You are an animal an evil predator you are a priest we trusted you while you…deceived and manipulated us to believe your actions were okay," one victim said. "I thank god …my parents died without the knowledge of what you did to the son they loved."
"My guilt all these years was not telling anyone….[it's] a cross I bear, a cross created by you” another victim said on the stand Wednesday.
The judge Nandi Campbell was weeping as she sentenced Hecker.
“I hope this sentence gives you some closure,” Campbell said, though she acknowledged how difficult it would be.
Hecker's guilty plea eliminated the need for the trial involving decades-old allegations and recent revelations of abuse and coverup. The plea brings an end to months of legal wrangling over his competency to stand trial.
Hecker's lawyer Bobby Hjortsberg says he hopes the survivors get some closure, and says Hecker's plea was him taking responsibility.
"He admitted to some very horrible crimes. He took responsibility for that and I believe that sparing the victims from having to go through the anguish of a trial should give them some closure and allow them to walk away from this knowing they got justice," Hjortsberg says.
However, District Attorney Jason Williams says that this isn't enough justice.
"We didn’t hear anything from Lawrence Hecker today but he gotta still answer To someone else in terms of another form of justice when he meets God, which I imagine is not far away," Williams says.
Williams adds that it shouldn't just be Hecker behind bars. He says there's an international organization that systematically silenced these survivors for decades, that should also face justice.
"[Hecker] should’ve been in jail immediately following all of his crimes and others who covered it up, shuffled him around should be sitting next to him so no there has not been enough justice but I’m glad we got some," Williams said. "A lot of people failed a lot of children in this community and this certainly is not justice for all the crimes committed against children, there should be more."
While many involved in this case hope the survivors are able to get some relief from this sentencing, they also acknowledge it's likely just one more step in their healing journey.
"I think there’s nothing that takes away the pain from what occurred. Nothing takes away the impacts of trauma on a person but I think the mere fact that he pled to each and every count in this building, there was no plea bargain there was no deal, and that he is getting this life sentence — at least says to family members, fellow congregates that I was telling the truth all these years and the world can believe them and that has a measure of justice that’s very impactful," Williams said.
Williams hopes Hecker serves his sentence at Angola, but Hecker has been held in medical facilities before due to the state of his health. The Department of Corrections says they will not disclose an inmate until he has been placed securely. We're told all of his documentation has been submitted for clearance and transfer.
Ramon Antonio Vargas of The Guardian US contributed to this report.
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