Pedophile Priest Who Received Special Treatment from Ex Wisconsin Governor Could Be out in Nine Months

SNAP WisconsinI
February 14, 2012

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Pedophile priest Fr. Norbert Maday, whose bizarre case illustrated the hierarchy’s sometimes deep reach into the political world, could be out of a secure state facility for violent sex offenders in time for Christmas.

Today, prosecutors in Winnebago County have reached an agreement with Maday, who has been awaiting trial for civil commitment under Wisconsin’s Chapter 980 law for sexually violent persons, that would release him in nine months if it is signed off by a state medical evaluator.

There are between 35 to 45 known victims of Maday, according to church documents released in a previous civil case against Maday and the Archdiocese of Chicago.

Maday was convicted in the mid-1990s’ for bringing grade school children from his Chicago parish to Wisconsin for purposes of sexually assaulting them. At the time, he was also convicted for intimidating a witness. The priest threatened to kill a victim’s older brother if he testified against him in court.

In a truly bizarre act of political favoritism, when Maday’s mother died in 1997, then Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson, at the personal request of Cardinal Francis George of Chicago, ordered state correction officials to work with the state’s legal counsel and arrange to have the body of Maday’s mother transported across state lines to the Fox Lake Correctional Institute in a sealed casket and hearse, accompanied by two funeral home workers, at least one Catholic priest, and six people that Maday himself approved to attend a private viewing and service. Wisconsin state law prohibits imprisoned felons from attending funerals, which can be videotaped. So, Thompson brought the body to Maday. This has never been allowed before and has never happened since (see letter from Cardinal George to Governor Thompson).

Unfortunately, the same preferential treatment was not extended to Maday’s victims and their families. At least one suicide has been linked to Maday’s crimes. In 2006, John Houston, a victim of Maday’s, took his life. In 2008, the last time Maday’s case came up for review, Diane Houston, the mother of the victim, publically urged officials to keep Maday locked up. They did. At the time, and still to this day, Thompson has refused to comment on his actions.

According to church records, after Thompson left office, church officials in Chicago, including Cardinal George, continued to try to directly influence the Governor’s office, this time to gain an early release for Maday, but with no success.

It’s hard to imagine Maday, who has left a trail of misery in Wisconsin and Illinois, can suddenly be rehabilitated in the next nine months. He needs to remain in a secure facility, likely for the rest of his life. Thompson needs to go once more out of his way in this case and urge correction officials to do just that.

SNAP, the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims, founded in 1987, with more than 10,000 members. Our national website is SNAPnetwork.org