FLORIDA
Local 10
Author: Amanda Batchelor, Senior Digital Editor, abatchelor@wplg.com
MIAMI –
A lawsuit was filed against the Archdiocese of Miami Tuesday by a man who claims he was sexually assaulted by a priest in 1989.
The alleged victim is seeking damages in excess of $5 million.
The complaint alleges that the archdiocese allowed Father Harry Ringenberger to continue serving as a priest despite being told that he had sexually assaulted a 14-year-old boy.
It’s unclear whether any criminal charges were ever filed against Ringenberger.
According to the complaint, the Archdiocese “sent Father Ringenberger away for approximately one year, (and) then assigned him to a new parish within the Archdiocese of Miami.”
At the time, Ringenberger was working at St. Maximilian Kolbe Church in Pembroke Pines, and most recently was working at St. Pius X Catholic Church in Fort Lauderdale.
The victim, identified as “John Doe,” claims Ringenberger took off his clothes and wrestled with the boy at his home in the St. Maximilian church rectory. He said he was then sexually assaulted.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.