NEW ORLEANS (LA)
Fox 8 WVUE
July 10 2018
By Rob Masson
A local attorney said the Archdiocese of New Orleans avoided a lot of bad publicity by reportedly settling a case involving a Loyola priest accused of raping a 5-year-old girl over several years.
The dismissal comes shortly after the Archdiocese paid out a $500,000 sex abuse settlement involving a former deacon and an altar boy.
Two years ago a woman identified as Jane Doe sued the Archdiocese of New Orleans, Loyola University and the Jesuit governing organization, claiming priest Ben Wren sexually abused for her seven years.
Court documents obtained by FOX 8 allege that Jane Doe’s grandmother, a Loyola staff member, trusted Wren, since he was a Jesuit priest and a university professor.
The lawsuit, dismissed last week, said that “Jane Doe would frequently be called on by Father Wren to assist him on errands,” and that “the sexual abuse began slowly with light touching and caressing.” The suit alleged “the sexual abuse continued for the next several years…and included forcible sexual intercourse when Jane Doe reached the age of 9 or 10 years old.”
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