New Details Released in Church Abuse Case

By Laura McCallister
KCTV
August 30, 2012

http://www.kctv5.com/story/19423142/new-details-released-in-church-abuse-case

That's what the head of the Kansas City-St. Joseph diocese apparently said over concerns about a priest with lewd images of children on his laptop.

KCTV5's reporting partners at the Kansas City Star obtained court documents in the abuse case against Reverend Shawn Ratigan. Records said Bishop Robert Finn also said "sometimes priests do things they shouldn't."

Ratigan is accused of abusing a 9-year-old girl months after the diocese learned about the photos on the laptop. At the beginning of August, Ratigan entered a guilty plea to child pornography charges.

Finn and the diocese are facing misdemeanor charges for failing to report the suspected abuse to police.

Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests or SNAP issued the following response in regards to the new details:

What an awful, hurtful way to respond to the heinous crimes of Fr. Shawn Ratigan.

Ms. Creech was under oath and she's an employee of Bishop Finn's diocese. So she has no incentive whatsoever to distort Bishop Finn's callous remarks.

And Finn's remarks weren't that long ago. So it's hard to believe Ms. Creech memory is somehow blurred by the passage of time.

Much like comments by two high profile New York Catholic officials – by Fr. Benedict Groeschel, earlier this week and by Cardinal Edward Egan earlier this year – Bishop Finn's words show how little has changed in the Catholic hierarchy when it comes to clergy sex crimes and cover ups.

According to KCTV5's reporting partner, the Kansas City Star, the statement talks about Julie Creech, the director of management and information systems for the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph. She detailed her conversations with Finn in an August deposition.