AUSTIN (TX)
KXAN
July 22, 2020
By Russell Falcon
Three women are suing a local Catholic organization and a former priest over allegations of sexual assault and false imprisonment.
The lawsuit alleges that The Schoenstatt Movement of Austin engaged in “institutionalized negligence” regarding priests who abuse members of the church.
The former priest, who is identified in the lawsuit as Gerold Langsch, formerly of St. Paul’s Catholic Church in south Austin, was accused of inappropriately touching a woman who was in hospice care in 2019.
He pleaded “no contest” and received a 300-day probation sentence.
The attorney representing the woman told KXAN in a statement: ‘The time has come for a Texas jury to send a message and put an end to this international, institutionalized abuse by Schoenstatt Catholic priests. It’s gone on and been tolerated far too long and our clients are going to fight to end it.”
KXAN also reached out to The Schoenstatt Movement of Austin, who declined to comment at this time.
For more on KXAN’s Investigation into priests accused of abuse, visit KXAN Investigates: The Accused.
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