MINNESOTA
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
For immediate release: Monday, September 22, 2014
Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests ( 314 566 9790, davidgclohessy@gmail.com )
One of the most prolific child molesting clerics in the US sexually assaulted a boy at the Inver Grove Heights church where Archbishop John Nienstedt will hold his “healing mass” tonight.
He’s Brother Stephen P. Baker who worked at St. Patrick’s parish from 1977 to 1981. That’s where he sexually assaulted Doug Larson. Baker’s accused of molesting more than 80 kids.
Almost a year ago, we in SNAP urged Nienstedt to reach out to others Br. Baker may have assaulted at this church. We were ignored.
In 2005, church officials paid Larson $50,000 but told no one. As a result, “Baker may have had access to children through the late 2000s,” according to the independent archive group BishopAccountability.org.
We believe there is a good chance that Baker abused more Minnesota kids. We want Archbishop Nienstedt to disclose whether his staff has heard from more local Baker victims. And tonight, we want Nienstedt to aggressively seek out others who saw, suspected or suffered Baker’s crimes.
Last year, 11 of Baker’s victims settled their cases with the Youngstown diocese and Baker’s direct supervisors. (Both the accusations and the settlements were kept secret by Catholic officials.) Since then, at least another 69 individuals have reported being victimized by Baker. Many come from the Altoona-Johnstown diocese in Pennsylvania, where Baker worked at a Catholic school. Baker also worked at church facilities in Michigan and Virginia.
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