Sister Norma Giannini
Posted by: Webmaster in Administrators, Church Schools, Elementary Schools, FE-MV, Hall of Shame, Teachers - Misc, Wisconsin11/11/07 - Initial BBT Report
Sister Norma Giannini, 79, has pleaded no contest to molesting two teenage boys, then 12 and 13-years-old, at a Milwaukee elementary school in the 1960s.
The Sister was scheduled to go on trial on Monday in Milwaukee, however she entered the no-contest plea.
As a result, Giannini now stands convicted of two felony counts of indecent behavior with the underage victims and faces up to 20 years in prison at sentencing on February 1.
Nikola Kostich, Sister Norma’s attorney said “She is not contesting the charges. She is basically saying that the prosecutor has enough evidence to find her guilty.”
Giannini’s attorney further indicated that she didn’t plead guilty out of concern her admissions could be used in possible civil lawsuits against her religious order, the Sisters of Mercy, and the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.
It was alleged that Giannini engaged in dozens of sexual encounters with the two boys. At the time she was 8th-grade teacher and principal at St. Patrick’s School in Milwaukee. The criminal complaint indicated that many of the incidents took place in the church convent, the school office and one student’s home.
Both of the former student/victims, James St. Patrick, 53, and Gerald Kobs, 55, attended the court hearing and heard Sister Norma’s plea.
Reportedly, St. Patrick had sexual contact with the nun more than 100 times, beginning when he was in 7th grade and often after she removed him from class and took him to a bathroom in her office while Kobs’ abuse occurred after school during music lessons in the convent and in the school office.
Reportedly Giannini admitted to an archdiocesan review board in 1996 that she had sex with the two boys saying she never forced sex on them.
Reportedy Giannini told the review board, “I thought I was in love with both of them.“.
She also claimed that she never engaged in sex with children after she moved to the Chicago area.
Reportedly she also said, “I never intended to hurt a child.”
Giannini retired five years ago for health reasons.
2/01/08 - Sentencing
Today Sister Norma Giannini was sentenced to one year in jail and ten years of probation.
At sentencing the judge said, “I’m struggling to understand how it is that someone who spent their entire life in service of others could have been so diabolical“.
Reference:
Nun gets year in jail for abusing 2 boys in 1960s (2/01/08)
Nun pleads no contest to molesting two boys (11/13/07)
Nun, 79, declines to fight sex case (11/12/07)
Background:
Nun Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Children (12/04/06)
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