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	Group Urges DA to Take Action against Deviant Priests By Andy Nelesen Green Bay Press-Gazette January 8, 2008 http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080108/GPG0101/80108166/1207/GPGnews A support group for people abused by clergy is calling on Brown County District Attorney John Zakowski to take action with the names of deviant priests he's been supplied by the Catholic Diocese of Green Bay. Peter Isely, Midwest director of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, delivered his letter today to Zakowski's offices. At a press conference before delivering his letter, Isely said he wants Zakowski to articulate how many names he received from the Green Bay diocese and what action he has taken with those names. Diocesan officials last week said they have turned over to civilian authorities 51 names of priests who have been credibly accused of sexual misconduct. The church has repeatedly refused to make those names public. The diocese's acknowledgement of the 51 names comes in the wake of a criminal conviction of the now defrocked Rev. John Feeney for molesting two boys and the launch of a civil law suit against the diocese citing fraud. "The diocese is claiming however, that although Catholic families don't know who these sex offenders are and that the public doesn't know who they are, you, in fact, know," Isely said in his letter to Zakowski. "The children of the community and their parents need assurances from you that you know where the church has put these potentially dangerous individuals and that you can vouch for their supervision and treatment. "Most importantly, that you can guarantee that these churches identified and church-known sex offenders will not commit another sexual assault against a child." Isely's letter also calls for Zakowski to offer assurances that he has reviewed every single record concerning child sexual abuse by a priest or cleric and has conducted a thorough investigation. Zakowski today said he has received some names of priests from the diocese in recent years, but said the number is less than 51. "We've had an agreement from some years ago with the diocese to turn over a list of all sexual misconduct by priests," Zakowski said. "Since that initial list, we have routinely been getting names through (the diocese's) legal counsel." Zakowski said the cases have various dispositions. "Most are dead some happened 50 years ago," Zakowski said. "If they are with the statute of limitations, we investigated them. If they weren't, they were filed. "The diocese, I think, has been forthcoming." The Green Bay diocese extends to 15 counties beyond Brown County and Isely said he plans to file similar letters with district attorneys in those counties. Contact: anelesen@greenbaypressgazette.com
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