Fr. Mark K. Merkel
Named publicly as accused by the archdiocese on its list 11/30/18. It notes reports in 1999 and 2004 of abuse in 1999. Merkel was removed in 2004 and laicized in 2006. In 1/22, in a hearing before the NE state legislature, a woman stated that Merkel sexually assaulted her when she was 15. She said she reported the abuse to law enforcement in 1999 and that Merkel admitted the abuse. She was unable to press charges due to the statute of limitations. Per the NE A.G.’s report in 11/21, the abuse included “explicit phone sex; inappropriate touching; emotional abuse.” His victim told a NE DOJ investigator that the archdiocese treated her like she was a “criminal”
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