A Ramsey County judge ruled Tuesday that the Twin Cities archdiocese must turn over by March 31 documents related to its priests “credibly accused” of child sexual abuse.Names and biographical information on those 34 priests were disclosed in December, but attorneys for a plaintiff known as Doe 1 sought church documents that the archdiocese so far has refused to release.Judge John Van de North wrote in a memorandum that Minnesota has a “long tradition of liberal discovery and a generous definition of relevance for purposes of gathering facts prior to trial.”
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A judge on Monday tossed out portions of two lawsuits seeking to force the Diocese of Duluth to release documents detailing child sexual abuse cases.Sixth Judicial District Judge David Johnson ruled that the plaintiffs cannot pursue the release of the documents through private and public nuisance claims. Counts charging the diocese with negligence in its handling of sex abuse cases will remain open.
Lawsuits Call For Release of Accused Offenders Identities, Claim New “Public Nuisance” Action Six more victims come forward under new law asking Diocese to release names of accused for public safety “Window for Victims” closes April 24
The Crosier Province voluntarily released this week an updated list of priests and brothers with credible child sexual abuse allegations. The first list was previously disclosed in 2002 and Friday’s release included 11 new names of priests and brothers with one or more credible claims of child sex abuse. This is a promising step forward. We encourage the Crosiers to take the next step and release…
News ReleaseMarch 5, 2014Court of Appeals Issues Orders in Doe 1 LawsuitOrder – Granting or Denying MandamusProhibition Timeline of efforts to have Winona’s list released (St. Paul, MN) – The Court of Appeals issued two orders denying the Archdiocese’s and Diocese of Winona’s attempt to review Judge Van de North’s decisions and delay the case. These decisions permit us and this courageous survivor to move forward with full discovery including taking the depositions of the decision makers and advancing efforts to unearth the long-kept secrets. We are grateful to Doe 1 for …
The Minnesota Court of Appeals has cleared the way for attorneys representing an alleged victim of clergy sexual abuse to question Archbishop John Nienstedt under oath.In a three-page order issued Wednesday, Chief Judge Edward Cleary denied requests by the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and the Diocese of Winona to block depositions of Nienstedt and former vicar general Kevin McDonough.
The Minnesota Court of Appeals has cleared the way for attorneys representing an alleged victim of clergy sexual abuse to question Archbishop John Nienstedt under oath.In a three-page order issued Wednesday, Chief Judge Edward Cleary denied requests by the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and the Diocese of Winona to block depositions of Nienstedt and former vicar general Kevin McDonough.
ST. PAUL, Minn. – He liked to be called “Father Jerry”.By his own account, Gerald Funcheon of the Catholic Order of the Holy Cross – the Croisers – started abusing young boys in the 1970’s here in the Twin Cities.”I suspect, and I don’t remember, it would have been at it St. Odilia’s,” he testified in a 2012 deposition.”The guy was a wolf,” according to David Bidney, one of kids who says he was abused starting when he was just 10. “They hurt me bad. And they hurt a lot of kids bad.”In addition to St. Odilia’s in Shoreview, Father Jerry served in parishes and schools in Anoka, Onamia, and St. C…
Documents released Tuesday by the St. Paul police department in a closed investigation show that the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis knew in 2004 that a priest had searched online for sexual images of children.
After the Rev. Gil Gustafson was convicted of child sex abuse 30 years ago, the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis made sure he was financially secure for decades to come.The church continued his priestly salary and health insurance, covered his living expenses and psychological treatment and paid for his education and training, according to church records and a former archdiocese accountant. It has given him jobs in the chancery, helped him establish his own consulting business and steered clients his way.
After the Rev. Gil Gustafson was convicted of child sex abuse 30 years ago, the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis made sure he was financially secure for decades to come.The church continued his priestly salary and health insurance, covered his living expenses and psychological treatment and paid for his education and training, according to church records and a former archdiocese accountant. It has given him jobs in the chancery, helped him establish his own consulting business and steered clients his way.
Sexual Abuse Survivors Settle with Los Angeles Archdiocese.
Archdiocese used therapy scam to defraud victims of civil rights;
Cardinal, Bishop thwarted police, helped criminal priest escape US
The Los Angeles Archdiocese has settled what officials said is the last of its pending priest molestation lawsuits, bring to a close a decade of wrenching abuse litigation that cost the Catholic Church more than $740 million.The church reached the $13-million agreement with 17 victims last week, on the eve of a trial scheduled to begin Feb. 14 over the alleged acts of Father Nicolas Aguilar-Rivera, a visiting cleric from Mexico who police believe molested more than two dozen boys over nine months in 1987.Eleven men, who were ages 7 to 12 when they were allegedly abused by the priest, were sche…
With the arrest of Chaska’s World Learner’s School substitute teacher Matthew VanHecke in December, 2013 and his subsequent admission to “touching three juvenile girls” at the school where he worked in 2012 and 2013, it is imperative that lessons be learned from these horrific events.Schools and other institutions that provide services to children must understand that conducting a background check on a potential employee does not relieve them of their responsibilities associated with ensuring the safety of children under their care. According to officials from two of his employers, District…
Sexual Abuse Survivors Settle with Los Angeles Archdiocese. Archdiocese used therapy scam to defraud victims of civil rights; Cardinal, Bishop thwarted police, helped criminal priest escape