ST. LOUIS (MO)
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
And new allegations made in clergy sex case
Amended lawsuit includes alarming details
A second top archdiocesan staffer is named
Carlson intended to foil civil lawsuit, it says
WHAT
Holding signs and childhood photos at a sidewalk news conference, clergy sex abuse victims and their supporters will announce that a judge is letting a high profile clergy sex abuse case – charging recent child sex crimes and cover ups by Catholic officials – move ahead. They will also disclose that “disturbing” new details about the case are filed in a new court filing, including
–20 new paragraphs about the abuse and top church officials involvement in it,
–a new “count” or charge against St. Louis’ archbishop (“spoilation”), and
–the name of a new bishop – not linked to the case before – who sent the priest to the victim.
It also includes new allegations, not made before, including that Archbishop Robert Carlson
–called the accused priest “often while the priest was in the victim’s home,”
–gave the accused priest permission to perform mass at the victim’s home,
–received a complaint that the accused was babysitting the victim’s siblings,
–ordered a church investigation into the complaint,
–told the priest to stay away from the family “until the investigation cleared him,”
–intentionally tried to “disrupt or defeat” a potential lawsuit, and
–“chose to avoid controversy” and “the result was harm to the victim.”
WHEN:
TODAY, Thursday, November 21 at 2:30 pm
WHERE:
On the sidewalk in front of the “new” Cathedral at 4431 Lindell (at Newstead) in the CWE
WHO:
Four to five people who are concerned Catholics or members of a support group called SNAP (the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests)
WHY:
Earlier this month, Archbishop Robert Carlson tried to have one of the most shocking clergy sex abuse and cover ups lawsuits tossed out of court. But on Tuesday, in a two page order, Judge Chris Kunza Mennemeyer decided that the case will go forward. It involves repeated child sex crimes against a teenager (as recently as last year) by a cleric very close to Carlson, Fr. Joseph Jiang.
Now, that lawsuit has been amended to include new charges and some unusual details, including that Bishop Robert Herman instructed Fr. Jiang to go to plaintiff’s home to pray over the family. (Herman has never been named in connection to this suit before.)
The amended suit also accuses Carlson of intentionally trying to “disrupt or defeat” a potential lawsuit by trying to get the victim’s parents to give him a $20,000 check that Fr. Jiang had left them. (Carlson’s move indicates “fraud and a desire to suppress the truth,” the suit says.)
Other new information and/or charges include that Fr. Jiang
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