MADISON (WI)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Associated Press
Posted: July 31, 2005
Madison - A Catholic priest's defamation lawsuit against a man who says the priest abused him as a boy heads to trial today in Janesville.
The case will pit supporters of the priest, Father Gerald Vosen, against advocates for victims of clergy sexual abuse who say the lawsuit is retaliation against a victim.
Although hundreds of people have sued priests during the Catholic Church's sexual abuse crisis over the past few years, observers say it's unusual for a priest to sue - especially when a church investigation has called the allegation credible.
Vosen, on administrative leave from his job as pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Baraboo, and his supporters have disputed the abuse allegation and say they look forward to proving it false in court. The lawsuit names the man and his parents and says their allegation ruined his reputation.
"I hope to get my name cleared," Vosen told The Associated Press in a phone interview from his Merrimac home.