Cops Trying to Investigate Sex Abuse at St. Paul Archdiocese: 'We Have Been Told No'

By David Badash
The New Civil Rights Movement
December 18, 2013

http://thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/cops-trying-to-investigate-sex-abuse-at-st-paul-archdiocese-we-have-been-told-no/news/2013/12/18/80424#.UrLaI-LmSCp


[with video]

An accusation of inappropriate touching of a minor against one of America’s top Catholic Archbishops has opened the Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota Archdiocese to national attention, and it’s not looking good.

 

Yesterday, Archbishop John Nienstedt voluntarily stepped aside as he was accused of inappropriately touching the buttocks of a young boy in 2009. He denies the charges.

Now, the nation is learning that there are other sex abuse investigations taking place by police of Nienstedt’s archdiocese — and they are being stalled by an uncooperative church.

“I want to let the public know one thing: let me be very clear on this,” St. Paul Police Chief Tom Smith told reporters yesterday. “We have through written and verbal requests made clear our desire to speak to individuals connected to the archdiocese and we have been told no.”

“We have been told no”? Who gets to tell the police, “No, we will not speak with you”?

KSTP reports that “Smith says police have not had the access to interview clergy members in recent investigations into the previous allegations.”

As late as last week, Smith said they were told no.

“In order for us to bring these cases to the next step in the process of concluding investigations and to bring them to closure, we again, now publicly, call upon those individuals to speak with us,” Smith said. “That’s why we are here today.”