NEW ORLEANS (LA)
KLFY-TV
January 29, 2021
By Aaron S. Lee
A day after a lawsuit was filed alleging a New Orleans priest raped and assaulted a 10-year-old boy during a church retreat in Montgomery, Ala., in 2008, Rev. John Asare-Dankwah has issued an official statement in response to the allegations.
At the time of the incident in question, Rev. John Asare-Dankwah worked at Blessed Trinity Catholic Church in Broadmoor. The Archdiocese of New Orleans has suspended Rev. Asare-Dankwah from his duties, which includes leading his congregation at St. Peter Claver Catholic Church in Treme, pending the outcome of the investigation.
Rev. Asare-Dankwah’s statement reads:
“I am deeply saddened and appalled by the allegations that I’ve just been made aware of. These allegations are false. I have never harmed anyone in my service to God – particularly any child – and I am prepared to fight vigorously to clear my name that I’ve worked for nearly three decades building trust as a man of God. The only time I have been to Alabama is to visit a friend; I have never been to the state in conjunction with any religious retreat.
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