MINNESOTA
KSTP
By: Jennie Lissarrague
Charges have been filed against the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, which is accused of failing to protect children, Ramsey County Attorney John Choi announced Friday.
Choi said the charges are in relation to three victims of former priest Curtis Wehmeyer.
Six charges have been filed, all of which are gross misdemeanors. They include three counts of Contributing to Need for Protection or Services and three counts of Contributing to Status as Juvenile Petty Offender or Delinquency.
Because the charges are against a corporation rather than individuals, Choi said no one is looking at jail time; if convicted, the archdiocese faces up to $3,000 in fines on each charge.
Choi said the charges are part of a 20-month-long investigation involving more than 50 witnesses and 170,000 pages of documents.
“This case isn’t about religion,” St. Paul Police Chief Tom Smith said. “It’s about allegations of misconduct and crimes committed.”
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