News ReleaseJanuary 8, 2015Trials Involving Notorious Priest Perpetrators Jerome Kern and Robert Thurner Set for January 26First clergy abuse cases to be tried under Child Victims Act(St. Paul, MN) – Two cases involving priests of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis will start trial on January 26, 2015. These will be the first cases to go to trial under the Minnesota Child Victims Act.Doe 23 was sexually abused as a child by Robert Thurner. Thurner abused a number of children in the Archdiocese and is listed on the Archdiocese’s website as having substantiated abuse al…
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A civil lawsuit was served January 6, 2014 on behalf of a survivor who was sexually abused by Fr. James Thoennes, a priest of the Diocese of St. Cloud. The survivor, Doe 50, was an elementary school student at St. John’s in Foley, Minnesota in the early 1970s when he met Fr. Thoennes who was assigned there. The sexual abuse occurred at Thoennes’ mother’s home in Central Minnesota where he invited Doe 50 and at least 20 other children to accompany him on overnight visits.Notably, years before the abuse of Doe 50, Thoennes was busted by an official at the Diocese of St. Cloud and admitted he had…
The Capuchin Franciscan Province of St. Joseph has announced that Father Robert Harrison OFM cap has admitted to sexually abusing minors under his care. The fact that a Roman Catholic priest has sexually violated a child while standing in loco parentis is not new.What is new is that Father Robert Harrison OFM cap went undetected for half a century. Ordained in 1964, Father Harrison was well trained by the Hierarchy. Father Robert studied philosophy, theology, social work and law. Harrison was given the tools to detect weaknesses, select a vulnerable child and conceal…
A lawsuit was filed in Stearns County today on behalf of a survivor who was sexually abused by Fr. James Thoennes, a priest of the Diocese of St. Cloud. The survivor, Doe 50, was an elementary school student at St. John’s in Foley, Minnesota in the early 1970s when he met Fr. Thoennes who was assigned there. The sexual abuse occurred at Thoennes’ mother’s home in Central Minnesota where he invited Doe 50 and at least 20 other children to accompany him on overnight visits.Notably, years before the abuse of Doe 50, Thoennes was busted by an official at the Diocese of St. Cloud and admitted he ha…
Two lawsuits were filed on behalf of five survivors on November 20, 2014 naming the Crosier Fathers & Brothers and former priest Gerald Funcheon. The sexual abuse was alleged to have occurred at St. Odilia’s Church in Shoreview, Minnesota and Palma High School in Salinas, California.
Funcheon is believed to have abused over 50 children during his time in the priesthood and worked in several parishes and schools throughout the nation, including Indiana, Minnesota, Florida, Hawaii, and California. In March 2014 the Crosier Order released the names of 19 priests with credible allegations of child sexual abuse. To date, the Crosiers have not rel
Media AdvisoryNovember 13, 2014Vatican Embassy Informed of Priest’s Possible Child Pornography and Sent Three Videos in 2002Documents indicate possible child pornography destroyed by Fr. Kevin McDonough and Fr. Joseph HitpasDonald Dummer Documents Donald Dummer File Donald Dummer Timeline WHAT: At a news conference today, attorney Mike Finnegan and former priest and monk Patrick Wall will:• Release the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis priest file of Father Donald Dummer who was in possession of possible child pornography in 1997, 1998 and 2002. …
Media AdvisoryNovember 10, 2014Chicago News Conference Tuesday, November 11, 2014Deficiencies in Archdiocese of Chicago Document Release to be Revealed TomorrowSurvivors’ Attorneys to Provide Complete Picture of Institutional Practices in the Handling of Child Sexual Abuse WHAT: At a news conference on Tuesday, November 11, 2014 in Chicago, sexual abuse attorneys Jeff Anderson and Marc Pearlman will:• Discuss the gaps and deficiencies in the documents recently released by the Archdiocese of Chicago pertaining to 36 priests accused of child sexual abuse. • Provide summ…
As part of the recent settlement of the Doe 1 vs. Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis and Diocese of Winona civil lawsuit, the once-secret priest file of Gilbert Gustafson was publicly released on October 27, 2014, which included many documents that have never been public. In 1983, Gustafson was criminally convicted of sexually abusing a minor boy and was placed on probation for ten years. Following the conviction, Gustafson was allowed to remain working in the Archdiocese, collecting disability payments. One of Gustafson’s major projects was the revision and reissuance of the Archdi…
The Names of 17 Priests Accused of Child Sexual Abuse Added to Archdiocese’s List of Abusers Disclosures Part of Doe 1…
AUSTIN, Minn. — Two top administrators at a Catholic school in Austin have been fired after a high school teacher was charged with having sex with a minor student. The Diocese of Winona, which includes Austin, says Pacelli Catholic Schools President Jim Hamburge and Principal Mary Holtorf were fired after being put on leave last week. Former math teacher Mary Gilles was charged with six counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct with a 17-year-old student earlier this month. The Diocese had said the administrators’ leave didn’t have to do with the charges against the 28-year-old. Diocese…
While details regarding allegations of child sexual abuse by actor Stephen Collins are still emerging, his portrayal of a sexually abusive priest in the short film “Penance” eerily foreshadows the allegations he now faces off screen and also touches on a misconception still held by some. According to a report in the Los Angeles Times the film was made in 2013 before the secret audio recording obtained by his wife was released to the public. The secret audio recording allegedly includes admissions by Collins of sexual impropriety with minors. Some have alleged that Collins use…
(St. Paul, MN) – On Monday, October 13, 2014, St. Paul, Attorney Jeff Anderson and sexual abuse survivor Al Michaud,…
Media AdvisoryOctober 13, 2014
Jeff Anderson, Diocese of Winona, Announce Historic Child Protection Action Plan and Settlement of the Doe 1 Civil Lawsuit
Protocols outline 17 requirements to ensure transparency and child protection
With adoption of these protocols Diocese of Winona has adopted best practices for child protection
WHAT: At a news conference today in St. Paul, attorney Jeff Anderson will discuss the settlement of the Doe 1 v. Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, Diocese of Winona and Thomas Adamson civil lawsuit.
As part of this historic settlement, 17 child pr…