MINNESOTA
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
And group wants archbishop to hold open public meeting
In sharply worded letter, SNAP blasts “recklessness, callousness and deceit
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: SEPTEMBER 30, 2013
For more information: David Clohessy of St. Louis, SNAP Director 314-566-9790 cell, SNAPclohessy@aol.com, Bob Schwiderski of Wayzata 952-471-3422, skibrs@q.com
A support group for clergy sex abuse victims is writing Minnesota’s top Catholic bishop urging him to discipline at least three church employees over how they handled the case of a priest who was convicted for molesting two children. The group also wants church officials to hold an open meeting to answer questions from parishioners and the public about the case.
A lengthy Minnesota Public Radio story details how high-ranking staff of the St. Paul-Minneapolis archdiocese kept Fr. Curtis C. Wehmeyer on the job despite “repeated troubling actions by and allegations against” the priest. http://minnesota.publicradio.org/features/2013/09/clergy-abuse/
Last year, Fr. Wehmeyer pled guilty to 20 charges related to criminal sexual conduct against two St. Paul boys and possession of child pornography.
But years before, top archdiocesan staffers knew that Fr. Wehmeyer had “engaged in troubling sexual encounters — that he had approached young men for sex at a bookstore and cruised nearby parks” where anonymous sexual encounters often took place. In 2009, he was arrested on – and later pled guilty to – charges of drunk driving. Police said he was asking young men, ages 18-21, if they wanted to party with him at a state park,” according to MPR.
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