"Jane Doe 20" Speaks out about Clergy Abuse

By Ellen Galles
KSTP
January 12, 2015

http://kstp.com/article/stories/s3674156.shtml

Up until now, she has been known as "Jane Doe 20." But for the first time, 29-year-old Marie Mielke shared her name and her story of clergy abuse. She has pending lawsuits against the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and two of its priests.

Monday the file on her accused abuser, Fr. Michael Keating, was made public as part of the 2014 settlement agreement in the John Doe case.

Mielke says Keating started abusing her when she was a teenager. When she finally had the courage to report it several years later in 2006, she says the archdiocese failed to believe her, treated her like she was unbalanced and helped cover up for Fr. Keating.

She says sharing her story is part of the healing process.

"Hiding something that isn't your fault is exhausting. Being told something didn't happen when it really did... being told you're crazy. After a while, the burden isn't worth carrying anymore," Mielke said.

Fr. Keating resigned from his position as a Catholic Studies Professor at The University of St. Thomas last year.

There are three abuse cases filed against the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis scheduled to go to trial in civil court by the end of the month.