By Nicholas J.C. Pistor
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
February 25, 2011
http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/article_0bef2bb7-4a4d-5dee-a776-8ea45f17a45f.html
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Catholic activists gathered outside the Belleville Diocese on Thursday and asked the church to stop appealing a $5 million sex-abuse court verdict.
A jury awarded $5 million in 2008 to a former altar boy who claimed sexual abuse by a priest. The diocese filed an appeal with the Illinois Supreme Court earlier this month challenging the verdict, even though a lower appeals court had upheld the award.
"We certainly don't like our church taking the low moral ground," said Les Himstedt, a former priest and member of the Southern Illinois Association of Priests.
The jury in Belleville had found that the diocese conspired to hush sex-abuse allegations and allowed the Rev. Raymond Kownacki free rein — even after, court records show, church officials knew he could not control sexual urges toward young boys and girls.
Belleville Bishop Edward Braxton was out of town and unavailable for comment on Thursday, according to a spokesman.
Diocesan lawyers say the former altar boy's complaint involves conduct that happened in the 1970s, therefore past the statute of limitations to seek redress. However, courts have said an exception exists if an entity fraudulently tried to cover up the allegations.
David Clohessy, national director for SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, said at Thursday's gathering that the diocese has recently received a credible complaint of sexual abuse by an active priest. He declined to release additional specifics but said it was not a recent complaint.
npistor@post-dispatch.com > 314-340-8265
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