BishopAccountability.org

Attorney for Victims Calls on Dayton to Convene Grand Jury to Investigate Alleged Cover-Ups by Bishops

KSTP
August 22, 2018

https://kstp.com/news/jeff-anderson-minnesota-grand-jury-investigate-alleged-coverup-catholic-bishops/5041622/

[with video]

An attorney for victims of clergy sex abuse wants Gov. Mark Dayton to convene grand juries to investigate alleged cover-ups by Catholic bishops in Minnesota.

Attorney Jeff Anderson said Wednesday he was inspired by a grand jury investigation in Pennsylvania that showed about 300 priests in the state had molested more than 1,000 children.

But Minnesota's statutes on grand juries say nothing about governors having the power to call grand juries. That power resides with county attorneys and district judges.

Through the declaration of bankruptcy by the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, and by other diocese in the state, Anderson said a lot has been done to bring justice to victims.

But he said the developments in Pennsylvania are an example that more can be done.

"Some disclosure has been made, and to that extent, credit due," Anderson said. "But not enough."

If a grand jury was called, Anderson said all the state's law enforcement resources could be used to investigate, as could the thousands of documents and witness statements that have already come out through the bankruptcy process.

"So much more can and should be done than what has been done," Anderson said.

Archdiocese officials reacted to Anderson's call for a grand jury in a statement issued Wednesday afternoon:

"Today, Jeff Anderson called for a Grand Jury Investigation of all dioceses in Minnesota. In early 2015, he called for an investigation of this Archdiocese. We cooperated with that investigation and would cooperate with any further investigation. 

"We were disappointed that Mr. Anderson criticized the bankruptcy process as a means of concealing the truth. There has been disclosure by the Archdiocese at every stage of the bankruptcy process. In the past, Mr. Anderson claimed the Archdiocese was concealing assets. These claims were repeatedly rejected by the judge as false. For us, bankruptcy was the only fair way to distribute assets to all who have claims, and we are pleased that we could file a joint plan with Mr. Anderson, on behalf of his clients, to provide $210 million for an equitable distribution.   

"For years now, the Archdiocese has worked cooperatively with Jeff Anderson's office to continue disclosing the names of priests with substantiated claims of sexual abuse of a minor, as they come to our attention. That process remains ongoing."

Dr. Charles Reid teaches law at the University of St. Thomas. He was a consultant to a diocese in Pennsylvania in the 1980s and 90s.

He told KSTP there is some merit in Anderson's call, and he also thinks it is a good idea.

"Mr. Anderson is alleging a conspiracy and cover up in these instances and that is a crime," Reid said. "If there is evidence there was pedophilia and priests were transferred to avoid detection that would fall under the conspiracy statutes."

Meanwhile, Dayton's office released the following statement Wednesday:

"The Governor has not received such a request before. Therefore, his office is first researching for any precedents and then analyzing the statutory authority on this matter. We will respond as soon as those reviews are completed."




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