Diocese of Winona Case Moves Forward

The Winona Daily News
December 11, 2013

http://www.winonadailynews.com/news/article_7ff438b0-6215-11e3-a03f-0019bb2963f4.html



List of priests to be released Monday

The civil case against the Diocese of Winona and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis is moving forward in Ramsey County Court.

Ramsey County District Judge John Van de North issued an order Tuesday allowing public nuisance claims against the diocese and archdiocese to proceed. That authorizes lawyers for the anonymous plaintiff, John Doe 1, to obtain diocesan records and correspondence related to former priest Thomas Adamson and others accused of child sexual abuse.

“We are both relieved and comforted that the nuisance claim can move forward so that we can continue on the journey with this courageous survivor to expose and disclose these long-kept secrets,” said attorney Jeff Anderson.

On Dec. 3, the judge ordered the names of 46 priests “credibly accused” of abuse to be publicly released by Dec. 17. The archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis released its 33 names last week, and the Diocese of Winona plans to release 13 names of priests and former priests Monday.

Adamson is accused of sexually abusing the plaintiff in 1976 and 1977 while serving a parish in St. Paul Park. It was the first case to be brought under the Minnesota Child Victims Act passed by the Legislature and signed into law in May, which removed the statute of limitations on those abused to sue their abusers.