MINNESOTA
National Catholic Reporter
Brian Roewe | Sep. 10, 2014 NCR Today
A lawsuit filed Wednesday seeks to compel the bishop of New Ulm, Minn., to become the latest and final diocese in the state to disclose its list of known priests credibly accused of sexually abusing children.
The lawsuit is brought by two plaintiff, Doe 37 and Doe 38, who claim they were sexually abused by Fr. Michael Skoblik between 1967 and 1971 when they were altar servers at St. Joseph Parish in Silver Lake, Minn.
Attorney Jeff Anderson said at a press conference that Skoblik, who died in 1989, is believed one of at least 12 priests the New Ulm diocese listed for the 2004 John Jay College of Criminal Justice study on clergy sex abuse. In August his firm released eight names of priests, including Skoblik, accused of sexual misconduct that emerged from a January deposition of Fr. Francis Garvey, director of priest personnel in the early 2000s.
Anderson characterized the lawsuit as a public invitation to Bishop John LeVoir of the rural southwestern Minnesota diocese to follow the lead of fellow bishops in the state in disclosing the names of credibly accused priests.
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