BishopAccountability.org
	Sioux City Diocese Settles Five Lawsuits The Cases Involve a Former Priest Accused of Molesting Dozens of Children since the 1950s By Meghan V. Malloy Des Moines Register January 17, 2007 http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070117/LIFE05/701170364/-1/NEWS04 The Sioux City Diocese of the Roman Catholic Church has settled five more lawsuits involving allegations of sexual abuse by the diocese's most notorious priest. The Rev. George McFadden has been accused of molesting more than two dozen children since the 1950s. The plaintiffs said McFadden sexually abused them when they were in their early teens or younger. They also accused the diocese of covering up McFadden's behavior by transferring him from parish to parish each time a new allegation was made. Not including the recent settlements, the diocese said it has paid $2.6 million to settle sexual-abuse lawsuits and claims since 2004. Insurance pays for the majority of the settlements, said Jim Wharton, director of communications for the diocese, with small percentages coming from the diocese and McFadden. That has been consistent in all 27 lawsuits handled by the diocese, Wharton said. "We still have two lawsuits against us pending, and two that have been filed," he added. Another lawsuit has been appealed. Steve Theisen, a director with the Survivors Network for those Abused by Priests, or SNAP, said that "no amount of money will cure or heal the victims." "We hope that it's just one step in their healing process," said Theisen, of Hudson. The settlement terms are confidential, said Sioux City attorney Scott Rhinehart, who represented two of the plaintiffs. Those two lawsuits were settled earlier this month. Rhinehart said he had no knowledge of the other three settlements. Rhinehart said he wonders why McFadden has not been removed from the priesthood. In 2005, the Vatican ordered McFadden, who is in his 80s and living in Fort Wayne, Ind., to live a life of prayer and penance. He was ordered to avoid performing priestly functions or having unsupervised contact with minors. "The Davenport and Des Moines dioceses have actually defrocked priests, but not Sioux City," Rhinehart said. "That's the question that keeps coming to my mind. Why hasn't he been defrocked?" Mike Ellwanger is representing the diocese in sexual abuse lawsuits. Ellwanger declined to say how much money the diocese paid to settle the latest round of lawsuits.
Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.