IOWA CITY (IA)
Des Moines Register
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
June 8, 2005
Iowa City, Ia. — A former principal of Regina High School who later went on to become bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sioux City was accused of abusing a former student in a lawsuit filed Wednesday.
The lawsuit names retired Bishop Lawrence Soens and the Diocese of Davenport, which last fall paid $9 million to settle 37 lawsuits that accused several eastern Iowa priests of sexual abuse at various times and parishes in the last 50 years.
Soens, who was not named in any of the lawsuits covered by the settlement, is accused of molesting a student more than 40 years ago while serving as principal and priest at Regina, in Iowa City.
The victim, who was younger than 18 at the time, claims the abuse began in 1963, with the improper behavior sometimes taking place in the principal’s office and others when Soens arranged to meet with the student under the pretext of investigating incidents of student misconduct.
‘‘Bishop Soens identified the (victim) as a young male child, sought and gained the trust and confidence of plaintiff as a spiritual guide, pastor, educator and priest,’’ the lawsuit states. ‘‘Soens, while using his position of authority, trust, reverence and control ... engaged in repeated harmful and illegal sexual contact with plaintiff.’’
The lawsuit, filed in Scott County District Court, also blames the Diocese and church officials for failing to investigate sex abuse claims and engaging in a pattern of covering up the illicit behavior of its priests.
Posted by kshaw at June 8, 2005 07:11 PM