Mn- Civil Lawyers Can Question McDonough but Police Can't? SNAP Comments

Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
February 12, 2014

http://www.snapnetwork.org/mn_civil_lawyers_can_question_mcdonough_but_police_can_t_snap_comments

We're glad two top Catholic officials will be deposed about clergy sex crimes and cover ups. But there's something wrong when police cannot question them but civil lawyers can.

We have the deepest respect for law enforcement personnel. But as of just a couple of weeks ago, St. Paul's police chief said his staff have been unable to talk with Fr. Kevin McDonough, who is perhaps the most clearly implicated wrongdoer over his decades of deceit in the archdiocese.

Why not?

We again call on Twin Cities police and prosecutors to step up their efforts to go after Catholic officials who conceal sex crimes against kids.

And less than a week ago, a Ramsey County grand jury indicted a murder suspect. But when we pushed for a grand jury to investigate cover ups of child sex cases by Catholic officials, we were told that in Minnesota, grand juries are “not typically used” in situations like this. (It's not “typical” to have such obviously long standing, widespread and continuing complicity by top officials in covering up child sex crimes as is happening in the archdiocese.) 

http://www.startribune.com/local/stpaul/244011331.html

http://www.mprnews.org/story/2013/12/15/catholic-church/county-attorney-grand-jury-not-likely-option-in-archdiocese-investigation

We beg Ramsey County's prosecutor to re-consider his position and set up a grand jury. 

We first asked for one almost six months ago. We renew this plea now. 

http://www.snapnetwork.org/mn_snap_calls_for_grand_jury_probe_of_archdiocese

We hope we'll soon be proven wrong, but we remain skeptical of claims that law enforcement is doing “everything possible” to investigate and pursue Catholic officials who clearly have – and still are – endangering kids, concealing crimes, stonewalling police, protecting wrongdoers and deceiving parishioners and the public.

Contact: SNAPclohessy@aol.com