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  Court Hearing in Priest Abuse Case

By Cameron Clark
WLUK
March 3, 2011

http://www.fox11online.com/dpp/news/local/fox_cities/Court-hearing-in-priest-abuse-case

[with video]

GREEN BAY - The day before a motion is scheduled to go to court to prevent alleged destroying of documents, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) gave out a taped deposition of Father John Doerfler, The Chancellor of the diocese of Green Bay from November.

Doerfler said in the deposition some documents were destroyed before the current court case began, including files of priests who had died. He also said the diocese decided not to publicize the list of clergy who had been removed because of sex abuse allegations and then went back into the community.

When asked, "Does it concern you that some of those people might re-offend?" Doerfler answered "No." He said it was not a concern because the diocese reported an legitimate allegations to civil authorities.

"Stunned," said Peter Isley, SNAP's Midwest Director. "As a victim of priest abuse as a child, being sexually assaulted by a priest, devastating."

Isley claims the diocese destroyed the documents in anticipation of lawsuits against it.

"Cover-up of these cases, destroying records," said Isley. "The result is almost all the evidence of fraud behavior, which is now the basis of lawsuits you can bring in Wisconsin, have been eliminated."

The Diocese's Director of Administration, Deacon Tim Reilly, has been in charge of many of the files.Reilly says any documents that were destroyed have been so according the diocese's policy, including of deceased priests and some medical records. He also says no files are destroyed if there is pending litigation or claims.

"To say we've done all sorts of things because we were imagining we were going to be sued is just a little bit outrageous," said Reilly.

Reilly says that policy was put in place before any sexual assault allegations arose against priests.

"I'd say this press conference called by them is a circus," said Reilly about SNAP. "So if we want tit for tat, there we go. Cover-up, circus."

The case to be heard in Outagamie County Court Thursday is the civil case involving two brothers from Freedom and convicted priest John Feeney from more than 30 years ago.

 
 

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