Apology

On September 2, 2002, I was in an impossibly nasty mood and depressed as I am wont to be from time to time. I wrote some things that I regret but one thing in particular is chief among them :

I could tell you that the pastor once protected a man in the church from prosecution for molesting his step-daughter. That the man did it repeatedly and that his sons picked up on his behavior before the step-daughter reported him for doing it again.

As far as I know, that is not true. I was wrong for saying it, even with the caveat that it was gossip. I had no right to publish it and I besmirched his character. I could offer excuses but I have none. My assumption of anonyminity was false.
I am only beginning to deal with this situation. I can see that I have a lot of explaining to do.