July 02, 2005

Diocese must turn over priest's records

BELLEVILLE (IL)
St. Louis Post-Dispatch

The 5th District Court of Appeals in Mount Vernon has upheld a St. Clair County judge's ruling that the Roman Catholic Diocese of Belleville must turn over the mental health records of a suspended priest who has been accused of sexual abuse.

The records are requested in a civil suit filed in October 2002 by a Chicago man who accused the Rev. Raymond Kownacki of abusing him as a child.

Circuit Judge Lloyd A. Cueto ordered the diocese to turn over the records and fined it $2,000 when the records weren't handed over.

Posted by kshaw at July 2, 2005 10:18 AM