BishopAccountability.org
	Fliss: DA Told of Beutner Abuse; Victims Wanted Anonymity Daily Telegram December 13, 2006 http://www.superiortelegram.com/articles/index.cfm?id=17115 The wrongful death lawsuit joins another civil action the Catholic Diocese of Superior currently faces. It also has been sued for the release of names of abusive priests and for negligence by a plaintiff who contends Bishop Raphael Fliss did not report sexual abuse committed by Edward Beutner, a priest formerly employed at diocese parishes. In a prepared statement, Fliss said he immediately removed Beutner from functioning as a priest and refused to reinstate him. Although the bishop has declined an interview during litigation, he issued a subsequent statement saying diocese officials reported the abuse allegation to the Douglas County District Attorney's office. The DA "was contacted several times by the attorneys for the Diocese who supplied the District Attorney with what information was available." That information, however, did not include names of four persons who told Fliss about the abuse. Those victims asked their names not be disclosed, Fliss said in his statement. In a recent interview, District Attorney Dan Blank said he could not prosecute without plaintiffs coming forward. He said he encouraged the diocese to have the victim's come forward. The Bishop also wrote "attempts were made to contact all four (victims) that Edward Beutner had been formally removed from the priesthood...Three were reached, and only one of the four did not return calls from the Diocese." St. Paul Attorney Jeffrey Anderson, who represents the men, disputes that claim, saying they had not been told of Beutner's removal. Beutner was listed in an audit of priests reported to be sexual predators, Fliss said, and no other complaints of abuse by priests have come forward since 2004.
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