MINNESOTA
Pioneer Press
By Kyle Farris
Forum News Service
POSTED: 06/17/2014
DULUTH — The Catholic Diocese of Duluth was criticized Monday by a group representing victims of clergy sexual abuse for the church’s handling of rekindled allegations that a priest molested a boy in 1990.
Verne Wagner, northern Minnesota director for the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, urged the church to share any knowledge it has of the allegations against Rev. Timothy Backous, who was asked by the church last week to stop assisting at St. Michael’s parish in Duluth while the alleged incident is investigated further. Backous also is on administrative leave from Essentia Health, where he ministers for Catholic hospitals in the Twin Ports.
“How can this happen in this day and age?” Wagner told reporters during a gathering outside the Duluth Diocese main office.
The investigation centers on allegations that Backous molested a 13-year-old boy during a choir trip to Europe, at which time Backous was working for St. John’s Abbey in Collegeville.
The parents of the alleged victim decided to air the allegations for a second time last month after learning that Backous was still working in proximity to children.
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