Woman Says Priest Raped Her In Prison

FORT WORTH (CN) - A Roman Catholic priest repeatedly raped, beat and choked an inmate at a federal prison and threatened to kill her if she told anyone, the woman claims in Tarrant County Court.

Jane Doe claims the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth and the Missionary Society of St. Paul knew or should have known of the Rev. Vincent Bassie Inametti propensity for sexual violence against women.

She claims that Inametti's abuse began as early as 1990, when he forced himself upon a parishioner and impregnated her, then told her "that she should either 'get rid of it' or 'give it to the nuns.'"

Nonetheless, she says the defendants assigned Inametti to be Catholic chaplain at the Federal Medical Center Carswell, in Fort Worth.

Doe, a Catholic, claims that after she confronted Inametti about his sexual abuse of another inmate, Inametti beat, choked and stomped her, then repeatedly raped her at the prison.

"He bragged that he was 'divine' and 'untouchable,'" the complaint states. "He told her that no one would believe her because she was a criminal and he was a 'priest and a federal officer.'"

She claims this abuse continued for more than a year, until Inametti was removed from the prison in June 2007.

She is represented by Tahira Khan Merritt of Dallas.

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