Media AdvisoryJanuary 20, 2014Hearing Today on Public Nuisance Claim Involving the Diocese of New Ulm Survivors, advocates pursue transparency, disclosure from the only Minnesota diocese yet to disclose the identities of clerics accused of child sexual abuse(New Ulm, MN) – At a hearing today at 3:00PM in New Ulm at the Brown County Courthouse, attorneys will argue on behalf of sexual abuse survivors to allow public nuisance claims to move forward that were alleged in several lawsuits filed against the New Ulm Diocese. Five lawsuits have been filed on behalf of seven survivors a…
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The files of six priests with allegations of sexually abusing minors or inappropriate behavior with minors in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis were publicly released on January 14, 2015.
This disclosure of files was agreed upon as part of the settlement of the Doe 1 civil lawsuit in October 2014.
The list of files released today includes the following priests: Joseph Gallatin; James Murphy; Thaddeus Posey; Raymond Prybis; William Stolzman; and Mark Wehmann.
News ReleaseJanuary 13, 2015Doe 29 Lawsuit Names Boy Scouts of America, Northern Star Council, River Hills United Methodist Church and Scoutmaster Peter StibalSystemic Failure of Boy Scouts, Council and Church to Act on Red Flags Regarding Stibal’s Danger to Boys; Perversion Files Demonstrate Their Knowledge of Risk(St. Paul, MN) – A civil lawsuit was filed today in Ramsey County by a former Boy Scout who was sexually abused by his Scoutmaster, Peter Stibal. The lawsuit names Boy Scouts of America (BSA), Northern Star Council, River Hills United Methodist Church – the troop’s char…
On January 12, 2015, Marie Mielke (Doe 20), courageously came forward to publicly discuss her sexual abuse at the hands of Michael Keating and how top officials at the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis mishandled the case between 2006 and 2013. Keating’s once secret priest file was also released to the public. In it, internal church documents show how church officials, especially Father Kevin McDonough, chose to protect Keating over Marie and other survivors. Key documents from Keating’s file, the Amended Complaint, and other pertinent documents and statements are posted below. …
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…
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…
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
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…