By Beth Hundsdorfer
The News-Democrat
August 10, 2011
http://www.bnd.com/2011/08/10/1817088/belleville-diocese-pays-633-million.html
It took less than 10 minutes on Wednesday morning to end a nine-year legal battle between the Catholic Diocese of Belleville and a former altar boy who was sexually abused.
The diocese handed over two checks totaling $6,329,041 to Mike Weilmuenster, attorney for sexual abuse victim James Wisniewski.
A St. Clair County jury awarded Wisniewski $5 million from the diocese in 2008. The Rev. James Kownacki, who is suspended from ministry, sexually abused Wisniewski while Wisniewski was an altar boy at St. Theresa's Parish in Salem nearly four decades ago.
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| David Clohessy, executive director of the St. Louis-based Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, talks with members of the media after the Catholic Diocese of Belleville handed over two checks totaling $6,329,041 to Mike Weilmuenster, attorney for sexual abuse victim James Wisniewski Wednesday morning. - Derik Holtmann/BND |
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| Mike Weilmuenster, attorney for sexual abuse victim James Wisniewski, exits a St. Clair county courtroom Wednesday morning to end a nine year legal battle between the Catholic Diocese of Belleville and the victim of sexual abuse. The Catholic Diocese of Belleville handed over two checks totaling $6,329,041 to Weilmuenster. - Derik Holtmann/BND |
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| Plaintiff James Wisniewski is consoled by his mother Marcy Wisniewski outside the St. Clair County Building after the jury reached its verdict on Aug. 27, 2008. - Zia Nizami/BND |
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| Photo of the Rev. Raymond Kownacki during the 1960's. - Provided/BND |
The payment marks the second time the diocese will have paid a victim of the Rev. Raymond Kownacki, 76, formerly of Dupo, who moved recently to an assisted care facility on Lansdowne Avenue in St. Louis, according to public records. In 2009, the diocese paid $1.2 million to settle a lawsuit brought by a man identified only as "John Doe" who was also sexually abused by Kownacki, who was removed from ministry more than 15 years ago because of allegations of sexual abuse of minors. He has stated he will not comment.
Belleville Bishop Edward Braxton issued a one paragraph statement confirming that the money will be paid.
"The diocese continues to express regret for any instances of childhood sexual abuse by a member of its clergy," Braxton said in the statement. "The diocese is committed to adhering to its Child Protection Policy, and will continue to assist victims and their families in furtherance of that policy ..." That statement was nearly word-for-word the same as one issued when the $1.2 million was paid.
David Clohessy, executive director of the St. Louis-based Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, challenged Braxton to publicly post Kownacki's name and address and those of at least another 14 Belleville diocese priests removed from ministry because of allegations of sexual abuse of minors.
"This is an inexpensive and quick step the bishop can take to protect kids," Clohessy said. "I think the best move Braxton could make for Jim and for every Southern Illinois Catholic and citizen would be to post on his website the names of predator priests so its tougher for them to gain access to kids. Names and addresses, work histories, photos."
Clohessy said that in the United States, 24 other bishops have publicly posted the names of priests believed by diocesan officials to have abused children.
"Any kind of real reform and prevention step most victims find much more healing and certainly parents find more beneficial than some carefully crafted very late and dollar short apology," Clohessy said.
Weilmuenster said the money for Wisniewski is guaranteed by a combination of insurance and more than $4 million previously placed in an escrow account controlled by St. Clair County Circuit Judge Lloyd Cueto, the lawsuit trial judge.
"I was approached by defense counsel last week and was told they decided they didn't want to pursue it any farther and we needed to agree on the exact figure," Weilmuenster said. "This will allow Jim to try to heal from the damage caused by the abuse."
Weilmuenster said he approached former Belleville bishop Wilton Gregory just before the lawsuit was filed in 2002 in an attempt to reach a settlement, but was rebuffed. Gregory is now archbishop of the Archdiocese of Atlanta. Pat Chivers, the communications director in the archdiocese, said Friday evening that she would try to reach Gregory for a comment.
Braxton could not be reached for comment. He was not the bishop during the time Wisniewski was abused or when church officials, according to the civil jury verdict, covered it up. Braxton has a policy of not commenting to local media.
During the trial, testimony showed that the diocese knew that Kownacki had been accused of sexually abusing children, both a girl and several boys, but kept reassigning him to parishes without warning parishioners.
Contact reporter George Pawlaczyk at gpawlaczyk@bnd.com or 239-2625.
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