Priest Sex Abuse Survivor Rails against Church

By Allen Costantini
KARE
October 11, 2013

http://www.kare11.com/news/article/1042135/396/Priest-sex-abuse-survivor-rails-against-church-

[with video]

The Survivors Network of those abused by Priests (SNAP) held an emotional news conference in front of the Chancellory of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis Thursday. Alleged priest sex abuse victim Dale Scheffler spoke passionately about the man he says abused him when he was 10 or 11 years old.

The man is still a priest and reportedly living comfortably, according to Minnesota Public Radio, with a pension and bonus payments, which Sheffler regards as an outrage. The man was convicted of abusing Scheffler in the 1990's, but the conviction was overturned on appeal because of a legal technicality.

"How can you allow this to happen?" called Scheffler. "How does he feel that he does not have to register? Does not the law state you have to register?"

The priest has not had to register as a sex offender because he was convicted in civil court, not criminal court and the case was overturned.

Scheffler and SNAP National President David Clohessy told reporters that they have little faith in the new "task force" set up by the Archdiocese to investigate and report on priest sex abuse in the area.

"Why are they saying that they are going to form another board?" said Scheffler. "I have heard so much about these boards! It is sickening."

Clohessy spoke of two allegedly offending clerics, one of whom committed suicide, he said. The other is the priest still living in Minnesota.

"The common denominator, I would argue, in both of these situations in that the Archdiocese has done and continues to do the absolute bare minimum to warn unsuspecting families about these two credibly accused clerics," said Clohessy.