MINNESOTA
National Catholic Reporter
Brian Roewe | Jul. 20, 2016
Criminal charges against the St. Paul-Minneapolis archdiocese were dropped Wednesday after it agreed to a revision of its civil settlement that added “direct and public admission of wrongdoing” for its role in the sexual abuse of three minors by a former priest.
The charges, brought last summer by Ramsey County Attorney John Choi, alleged a “failure to protect children” on the part of the archdiocese in relation to three minors sexually abused in 2010 by former priest Curtis Wehmeyer. In court Wednesday, Ramsey County District Judge Teresa Warner accepted an amendment to the civil agreement, originally reached in December, that added several new requirements and also inserted an admission of wrongdoing.
“It was not only Curtis Wehmeyer who harmed children. It was the archdiocese, as well,” Choi said at a midday news conference. “Today, through the leadership of the new, permanent archbishop, Bernard Hebda, that direct and public admission of wrongdoing has now been made.”
The record for the civil case will be amended to state:
Curtis Wehmeyer was a priest in this Archdiocese. The Archdiocese admits that it failed to adequately respond and prevent the sexual abuse of Victim 1, Victim 2, and Victim 3. The Archdiocese failed to keep the safety and wellbeing of these three children ahead of protecting the interests of Curtis Wehmeyer and the Archdiocese. The actions and omissions of the Archdiocese failed to prevent the abuse that resulted in the need for protection and services for these three children.
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