Ramsey County Drops Charges against Archdiocese, by Jean Hopfensperger, Star Tribune, July 20, 2016

Ramsey County Drops Charges against Archdiocese

By Jean Hopfensperger
Star Tribune
July 20, 2016

http://www.startribune.com/twin-cities-archdiocese-in-court-for-first-update-on-child-abuse-response/387627971/

County.jpg Ramsey County Attorney John J. Choi spoke at a press conference on Friday, July 8, 2016 in St. Paul, Minn. ] RENEE JONES SCHNEIDER i reneejones@startribune.com

Ramsey County is dropping criminal charges against the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis in a clergy abuse case that drew national attention.

At a news conference Wednesday morning Ramsey County Attorney John Choi said that in exchange for dropping the charges, new requirements will be added to those from the civil case that was settled last December.

What the archdiocese has to do going forward is "unprecedented" and should be model of child protection protocol for elsewhere in the United States, Choi said.

For example, child advocate Patty Wetterling will sit on the Ministerial Review Board, the archdiocese panel that reviews complaints of clergy sex abuse. Choi says Wetterling will bring credibility and help archdiocese make systemic changes.

Church officials held a news conference shortly after a Wednesday morning court hearing at which they outlined their actions to comply with the civil settlement. The settlement required the archdiocese to make twice-a-year reports for three years.

Church officials have committed to reporting allegations of clergy sex abuse immediately to police and, Choi said, "to be deferential" to police.

"John Choi and I have committed to a course of action to keep children as safe as possible," said Archbishop Bernard Hebda. "Today we humbly acknowledge our past failures … and pledge to move forward openly."

Ramsey County Attorney John Choi had filed both civil and criminal charges against the archdiocese last year for failure to protect children, stemming from the case of former St. Paul priest Curtis Wehmeyer, now serving time in prison for abusing two sons of a parish employee in a trailer outside his church.