MINNESOTA
Pioneer Press
By Andy Greder
agreder@pioneerpress.com
POSTED: 09/24/2013
A Minnesota victims support group called for a grand jury investigation Tuesday into how the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis handled allegations against a priest now in prison.
The Rev. Curtis Wehmeyer, formerly assigned to Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in St. Paul, is serving a five-year prison term for sexually abusing two children and possessing child pornography.
SNAP, the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, wants Minnesota prosecutors to investigate whether at least three top Catholic officials “hid, tampered with or tried to tamper with evidence,” according to a Minnesota Public Radio report. The report said that top archdiocese officials had known of Wehmeyer’s sexual compulsions for nearly a decade yet kept him in the ministry.
In a statement Monday, the archdiocese stood by its response to Wehmeyer’s actions, but added that improvements were being made to policies on how it deals with clergy misconduct.
The Ramsey County attorney’s office did not immediately return an email seeking comment Tuesday.
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