Madison Diocese names eighth priest accused of sexual abuse

WKOW
September 13, 2019

https://wkow.com/news/2019/09/13/madison-diocese-names-eighth-priest-accused-of-sexual-abuse/

The Madison Diocese has named an eighth priest “credibly accused” of sexually abusing a minor following a review by an outside firm.

The external review of diocesan personnel files, which was launched in June, adds one more priest to the seven previously named as having substantiated abuse allegations against them.

The Diocesan Sexual Abuse Review Board deemed accusations against John Eberhardy credible, making him the eighth priest on the list. Eberhardy died in 1992, according to the diocese. The diocese has previously named seven clergymen that had accusations of child sexual abuse substantiated by the diocesan Sexual Abuse Review Board: Archie Adams, Curtis Alvarez, J. Gibbs Clauder, Kenneth Klubertanz, Michael Trainor, Lawrence Trainor and Gerald Vosen.

All have either died or been removed from the priesthood.

But the organization Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, or SNAP, claimed Friday four additional former priests who have worked within the Madison Diocese have been either credibly accused of abuse by other dioceses or criminally convicted.

According to SNAP, the four priest are:

• Jesus P. Garza, Edgewood High School minister, 1995-97; credibly accused by the Chicago Archdiocese
• Charles A. Saalfeld, Saint Joseph’s Church, Madison, 1956-57; credibly accused by the San Jose Diocese
• Philip C. Keyes, who left the Madison Diocese in 1976 over a dispute about Vatican reforms and pleaded no contest in 1993 to first-degree sexual assault of a minor
• Oswald G. Krusing, who held various assignments within the Madison Diocese; credibly accused by the Milwaukee Archdiocese.

In a statement, Diocese of Madison Spokesperson Brett King said in part, the Diocese, “either has no record of, or any allegations against the four individuals identified by SNAP. The Diocese of Madison thanks SNAP for their time and efforts for the good purposes of offering vigilance and working to root out the crime of sexual abuse.”

The news comes the same day a retired Madison priest was acquitted on charges of sexual abuse in Jefferson County.