“It Was Her Fault” Attorneys Claim Fargo Diocese Blamed Alleged Sexual Assault Survivor

FARGO (ND)
KVRR TV

July 8, 2019

By Austin Erickson

Attorneys for an alleged sexual assault survivor say the Fargo Diocese told them “it was her fault” after coming forward.

The law firms of Bradshaw and Bryant and O’Keeffe O’Brien Lyson Foss will hold a press conference Thursday, July 11 in Fargo. They claim Father Michael Wright abused someone at St. Ann’s Catholic Church in Belcourt, North Dakota.

Lawyers claim the Diocese responded by “blaming the survivor and shipping Father Michael Wright back to Texas to the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity community without an investigation.” They also say the SOLT sent Father Wright to counseling following the alleged assault which they call “reprehensible.”

The firms demand the Diocese disclose its list of known offending priests. They’re also calling on the North Dakota legislature to open up the statute of limitations so “offenders can no longer be shielded from civil remedies.”

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