Survivor of Sexual Abuse by Father Michael Keating Reacts to Keating’s Resignation out of Concern for Children
(St. Paul, MN) – Today an adult woman, Doe 20, abused by Fr. Michael Keating as a teenager, filed an amended complaint and issued a statement expressing deep sorrow and concern about Keating’s announcement last week that he was resigning from the University of St. Thomas for his own career objectives.
This courageous young woman chose to file this complaint because Keating’s resignation was not only under false pretenses, but gives the impression he is not a danger to the public. “Jane Doe’s experience, and our view, is that he has and remains a danger to vulnerable young women,” said her attorney Jeff Anderson. “We applaud this brave, young survivor for her courage in standing up for the truth and protection of other kids.”
The amended complaint now includes the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis because there is good reason to believe that they had sufficient information to prevent Keating from having access to Doe 20 and others before the abuse of Doe 20 occurred, and because the Archdiocese’s review process caused further harm to Doe 20. The Archdiocese made a conscious choice to keep Keating in ministry and in good standing at the University of St. Thomas. The amended complaint also names Fr. Kevin McDonough because when the Archdiocese undertook review and investigation of the abuse allegation, he referred to Doe 20 as “delusional.”
Statement of Doe 20
When I first brought the terrible reality of having been sexually abused by Fr. Michael Keating to the archdiocese, I truly believed that they would work with me to bring justice and healing to the situation. Sadly, over the years I have come to realize that the archdiocese has been more concerned with saving face than with addressing the deep wounds they have caused. What scares me the most is the possibility of more children being abused. No child should have to live with the fear and shame that I carried for years. I truly love my Catholic faith and it makes me so sad when I think of how this archdiocese continues to fail in the area of justice and the protection of children. The truth needs to be brought to light and these issues need to be addressed.