WISCONSIN
SNAP Wisconsin
June 28, 2013
Over two dozen clergy, others who committed child sex crimes or abuse names and files will be missing from Archdiocese of Milwaukee court supervised document release Monday
CONTACT:
Peter Isely, SNAP Midwest Director (414.429.7259)
John Pilmaier, SNAP Wisconsin Director (414.336.8575)
Mike Sneesby, SNAP Milwaukee Director (414.915.4374)
On Monday, July 1st the Archdiocese, through a court supervised agreement, is scheduled to release the files of 45 priests who committed what church officials characterize as “substantiated” acts of criminal child sexual assault.
The list and files were not compiled by law enforcement, the court, or independent review but by the Archdiocese.
That is why the actual number of known and alleged offenders is considerably greater than 45, when a true list is compiled of all clergy and others known or alleged form court and other published records and accounts.
The purpose of any list, such as those found published by occupational or licensing boards, is to alert the public that a teacher, or psychologist or social worker, for example, has had his or her license revoked for misconduct, such as sexual assault of a patient or student, through the process of a formal ruling by the occupational or state licensing board.
Who is served by keeping the identities, files and information of known clergy abusers from a diocese secret? Not the public, or families, or parents. Only the offender and the bishop who covered up the act or the report.
What, then, is the true number of abusive clergy and others who have sexually assaulted children working or living in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, under the authority of the Milwaukee Archbishop? Below is a partial list (will be updated).
a. The number Fr. of abusive clergy from the archdiocese is at least 66. Bishop-Accountability.org, the world’s oldest and largest independent online Boston archive of church abuse documents and reports from around the United States, lists the number of clergy who have sexually assaulted children in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee as 66. (Go the BA “database of accused priests” page and scroll down to Milwaukee Archdiocese and click for name and details.)
b. Parish priests recently removed from ministry with current cases or reports of assaulting children whose files are not being released. Fr. Robert Marsicek, a Wauwatosa priest under current and former police investigation for recent allegations of child sex crimes with who has been removed from ministry, according to his religious order. Fr. Michael Nowak pleaded guilty Fr. Lauren Wenig, pastor of St. Mary’s Elm Grove, removed from ministry three years ago with five victims coming forward. There is also a retired priest removed three years ago for a child sex assault report whose name and file has not been released.
c. 3 deacons have been confirmed by archdiocese to have assaulted children. In a published report to Wisconsin State legislators in 2003 by the Catholic’s Conference of Wisconsin, the Archdiocese of Milwaukee revealed that at least 3 permanent deacons ordained in Milwaukee and assigned to parishes in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee sexually assaulted children. The Archdiocese will not disclose their names, files or assignment history.
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