MINNESOTA
KSTP
[with video]
By: Scott Theisen
A Minnesota man who claims he was sexually abused by a priest from 1989 through 1992 sued the Twin Cities archdiocese, St. John’s Abbey and a center that treats clergy with psychological issues on Tuesday.
The lawsuit claims Francis Hoefgen, a former monk and priest, was at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton church in Hastings when he molested the plaintiff, who was 10 to 13 years old at the time. It alleges the defendants were negligent and should have known Hoefgen was a danger because he admitted to abusing a teenage boy just a few years earlier. It also alleges church officials didn’t warn Hoefgen’s new parish about the risk.
“This is quite disturbing, quite alarming. But also quite familiar and quite typical,” said Jeff Anderson, an attorney for the plaintiff, who’s identified in the lawsuit as Doe 27. “All of these entities made conscious choices to conceal, instead of reveal, the truth about the hazard and because of it, countless kids were hurt.”
Hoefgen did not return a message seeking comment. His attorney, Robert Stich, said Tuesday he had just received the complaint and was in the process of analyzing it.
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