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11/23/2006

Man Files Sex-abuse Suit Against Priest

Kevin Harter, Pioneer Press

A former altar boy filed a lawsuit Wednesday in Duluth accusing a retired priest of molesting him and accusing the bishop of the Superior Diocese of taking no action on several complaints about the priest.

Identified only as John Doe 113, the 55-year-old Superior man accused the Rev. Edward F. Beutner of sexually abusing him as a teenager. Filed by St. Paul attorney Jeff Anderson, the suit also alleges several complaints made to Bishop Raphael Fliss about Beutner in the past few years were ignored.

The suit seeks more than $50,000 in damages.

Fliss and diocese spokesman the Rev. Philip J. Heslin did not return messages Wednesday seeking comment. Beutner, 66, who is believed to be living in River Falls, Wis., could not be reached for comment.

The Superior man was an altar boy at Superior's Cathedral of Christ the King in the mid-'60s and "came to know, admire, trust, revere and respect Beutner as a priest, teacher, counselor, spiritual adviser and religious instructor," according to the lawsuit filed in St. Louis County District Court.

His lawsuit alleges that Beutner, then serving at the cathedral, "engaged in unpermitted, harmful and offensive sexual contact" with the boy, who was about 15 years old in 1965 or 1966, during a trip to Minnesota, which is why the lawsuit is being filed in Duluth.

Anderson, nationally known for representing victims of clergy sexual abuse, said a similar suit would have been filed in Superior, but a 1995 state Supreme Court decision has made such cases nearly impossible in Wisconsin.

According to the lawsuit, the former altar boy "suffered a traumatic amnesia, or memory repression, of the sexual abuse" and had no memory of it until about 2005 or 2006 while in psychological treatment.

The suit also alleges Fliss and other church officials "continue to attempt to cover up Beutner's abuse of children" despite three other reports from individuals who say they were molested as children by the retired priest.

John Doe 113 contacted Fliss six months ago after learning Beutner still was active in the priesthood and became concerned. About the same time, he attended a reunion and met three of his classmates who said Beutner also had abused them, the lawsuit said. All four then went to see Fliss, Anderson said.

The bishop told them the statute of limitations had passed and they couldn't bring any action against the church. "Which is not what they wanted," Anderson said. "They wanted him to do something."

The bishop did tell the men he would look into their claims, but Anderson said nothing was done.

Beutner is now retired, but he continues to be active in church-related events and retreats, Anderson said.

Kevin Harter can be reached at kharter@pioneerpress.com or 800-950-9080, ext. 2149.

Jeff Anderson & Associates, P.A.
366 Jackson Street, Suite 100
St. Paul, MN 55101
Phone: 651-227-9990
Fax: 651-297-6543

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11/19/08

Searchable and Enhanced Archbishop Weakland Deposition

from Bishop Accountability

11/19/08
Archbishop Rembert Weaklands's Deposition Part 1 and Part 2
Exhibits Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4

11/12/08
Portions of Archbishop Rembert Weakland's Deposition and Exhibits.

Video of Archbishop Rembert Weakland's Video Deposition.

11/12/08
Group outs top 10 priests accused of sex abuse
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11/07/08
Complaint filed Against Fr. John Powell

10/26/08
Convicted Catholic priest faces indefinite custody, Winnebago County jury to decide fate
A Winnebago County jury will decide next month whether a Catholic priest who sexually assaulted two boys in the 1980s meets the criteria to be classified as a sexually violent person and remain in custody indefinitely.

10/25/08
Jury convicts ex-Jesuit priest of sex abuse of 13-year-old boy
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10/23/08
Cardinal's dismaying lapse on sex offender
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9/25/08
Catholic order of nuns settles claim by three who say they were abused
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9/23/08
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9/15/08
Archdioces may seek out priest's abuse victims
As an advocacy group blasted the church's handling of the allegations, an outreach effort was contemplated.

9/10/08
Archdiocese accused of helping sex abuser flee
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9/10/08
Montero Press Conference

9/10/08
Suburban church is hit with abuse suit
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9/10/08
Complaint against Greek Orthodox Church and Fr. Nicholas Katinas

9/3/08
Family of Priest-Abuse Victim Reacts to Supreme Court Ruling
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8/22/08
Exhibit A Non-Monetary Commitments by the Diocese

8/22/08
Bishop Signs Priest Abuse Settlement
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8/22/08
Mom wants cardinal to quit
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8/19/08
Tentative settlement reached in KC priest abuse cases
The Catholic Diocese in Kansas City and more than 40 victims of clergy sexual abuse tentatively agreed late Tuesday to settle lawsuits against the church for about $10 million.

8/14/08
Last known contact info for offenders in Chicago Settlement

8/14/08
Victim, cop slam archdiocese's efforts to get priest out of prison early
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8/13/08
Victim was 7 when abused by priest
Less than a year ago, Therese Albrecht wanted to kill herself.

8/13/08
Cardinal tried to spring sex abuser, then changed view
Cardinal Francis George acknowledged Tuesday that he and other Archdiocese of Chicago officials had worked to reduce the prison sentencef sex-abusing priest Norbert Maday, who is believed to have molested children dozens of times.

8/13/08
Cardinal lifts the veil on abuses
George announces $12.7 million payout to victims of priest attacks, discloses his sworn deposition and says: 'I have to accept the blame'

8/12/08
Archdiocese Announces $12.6M Sex Abuse Settlement
The Archdiocese of Chicago said Tuesday it will to pay more than $12.6 million to settle lawsuits by 16 victims of sexual abuse by priests

8/12/08
depo transcript of Cardinal George

8/12/08
Cardinal George Exhibits Part 1 of 2

8/12/08
Cardinal George Exhibits Part 2 of 2

7/30/08
Attorney Jeff Anderson Sues the Hell Out of Clerical Sex Abusers
St. Paul, MN: Attorney Jeff Anderson is a genuine firebrand. He has handled not hundreds, but thousands of cases on behalf of sexual abuse survivors across the US, and even outside the US over the last 25 years.

7/21/08
New Sex Abuse Lawsuit for Denver Archdiocese
Another man filed a lawsuit Monday against the Archdiocese of Denver alleging he was abused by a priest at a church in Loveland about 40 years ago.

7/3/2008
Former Somerset priest indicted
Cote faces sexual abuse charges in Maryland

7/2/2008
Denver Archdiocese to Pay $5.5 Million in Abuse Suits
After nearly three years of litigation, the Archdiocese of Denver said Tuesday that it would pay $5.5 million to settle more than a dozen lawsuits over sexual abuse by priests.

7/2/2008
Time line Regarding Harold White and the Archdiocese of Denver

7/2/2008
Denver settlement - all documents on White

7/2/2008
Archdiocese of Denver settlement - hot documents

7/2/2008
Denver Archdiocese Settles Priest Sex-abuse Lawsuits
The archdiocese of Denver has agreed to pay $5.5 million to settle 18 claims of sexual abuse against its priests in incidents that happened between 1954 and 1981.