MT – Records of Montana predator priest are released

MONTANA
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

For immediate release: Tuesday, September 10, 2013

More than 30 pages of long-secret Catholic church records about a predator priest who worked in four Montana parishes have been made public as part of a 2007 settlement.

He is Fr. John Kohnke. He worked in Hingham, Sunburst, Chester and Shelby.

Here are the files: http://www.lorpb.com/documents/Clergy-September/Norbertines-(Kohnke).PDF

http://www.lorpb.com/September-Release.aspx

Here’s an article about the release of the files:

http://www.sunherald.com/2013/09/09/4937123/priest-recalls-la-flight-after.html

Here’s what we think should happen now:

Both Montana bishops should publicly

–announce the release of these files, and

–post the names and files of each of these predators on their diocesan websites, so that more victims, witnesses and whistleblowers might come forward, the criminals will be prosecuted and jailed, and kids will be safer and victims will get help. (NOTE: Fr. Kohnke is deceased, so he can’t be prosecuted. But we suspect that other current and former Catholic employees who may have concealed his crimes might still be prosecuted.)

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