MO - Trial Proceeds Vs. Priest

By Lilian Kim
SNAP
November 19, 2012

http://www.snapnetwork.org/mo_trial_proceeds_vs_priest

A civil child sex abuse and cover up lawsuit against who has been called “Illinois’ most notorious predator priest” is moving ahead and will be the focus of a hearing today in St. Clair County Illlinois.

It involves Fr. Raymond Kownacki of the Belleville Diocese. He’s been accused of molesting boys and girls and was once sued for impregnating a teenager and performing an abortion himself.

Leaders of a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, are applauding the victim for “helping to expose wrongdoing, by both a child molesting cleric and corrupt church colleagues, and helping to deter such awful behavior in the future.”

They urged current and former employees of the Belleville Catholic diocese to help find other victims, witnesses and whistleblowers, “so that Kownacki might be criminally prosecuted and kept away from kids.”

“Kownacki is elderly but we suspect he has no monitoring or supervision,” said Barbara Dorris of SNAP.

“This is a shrewd, violent, dangerous man who has almost certainly hurt others and belongs behind bars,” Dorris said.

Kownacki’s photo is at BishopAccountability.org