MINNESOTA
Mankato Free Press

By Leah Buletti lbuletti@mankatofreepress.com

NEW ULM — The Diocese of New Ulm has received 98 claims from victims of sexual abuse in the three years since the passage of a state law that temporarily lifted the civil statute of limitations for such claims.

Of the diocese’s 75 parishes, 28 are named in lawsuits brought under the Minnesota Child Victims Act. The suits involve 15 priests.

In March, the Diocese of New Ulm became the last in the state to release the list of names of 16 priests credibly accused of sexually abusing children.

The law has highlighted what Msgr. Douglas L. Grams described Wednesday as a “tragedy in this period of history for the church.”

“We’ve had time to reflect and see it as a family experiencing a tragedy,” Grams said.