Police chief says Minn. archdiocese uncooperative

MINNESOTA
Seattle PI

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — St. Paul Police Chief Thomas Smith says the Twin Cities archdiocese is not fully cooperating with investigations into alleged clerical sex abuse.

At a news conference Tuesday, Smith said the archdiocese has declined to make clergy available to investigators.

He did not provide details about an allegation against St. Paul-Minneapolis Archbishop John Nienstedt (NYNE’-sted). Nienstedt announced Tuesday that he’s stepping down from public ministry while police investigate an allegation that he improperly touched a boy during a public photo session four years ago, an accusation he strongly denies.

In a statement, the archdiocese repeated that it “seeks to cooperate with the police and all civil authorities.”

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