Carlson Responds to Sex Abuse Deposition Controversy

By Valerie Schremp Hahn
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
June 13, 2014

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/carlson-responds-to-sex-abuse-deposition-controversy/article_56f924db-68df-5361-bae8-4973befec9d9.html

Louis.jpg St. Louis Archbishop Robert J. Carlson in a portrait taken at his residence on Dec. 20, 2012. Photo by Erik M. Lunsford elunsford@post-dispatch.com

St. Louis Archbishop Robert J. Carlson issued a statement and video Friday about comments he made in a deposition last month about whether sexual abuse of children by priests was a crime.

“In the deposition last month, I misunderstood a series of questions that were presented to me,” he said. “I wish to clarify that situation now. I fully understand, and have understood for my entire adult life, as I stated in other sections of this same deposition, sexual abuse is a grave evil and a criminal offense.”

The reports of his comments during the deposition sparked outrage among some in the community and prompted a small protest outside the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis on Wednesday.

“I understand this situation has caused concern and frustration for many people, and for that I apologize,” Carlson said. He encouraged anyone who had suffered abuse to contact police and the archdiocese.

Friday marked the third time in a week the archdiocese has offered responses to the statements offered by Carlson in the deposition.

On Monday, a spokesman for the archdiocese, Gabe Jones, said that “while not being able to recall his knowledge of the law exactly as it was many decades ago, the archbishop did make clear that he knows child sex abuse is a crime today.”

On Wednesday, Jones said Carlson’s comments had been misconstrued in news reports that suggested the archbishop was unaware it was a criminal offense for an adult to molest a child. “Nothing could be further from the truth,” he said.

The deposition is part of a sexual abuse lawsuit in Minnesota involving the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and the Diocese of Winona, Minn. Carlson was responding to questions from plaintiff attorney Jeff Anderson.

The plaintiff in the case, identified only as “Doe 1,” alleges abuse in the 1970s by the Rev. Thomas Adamson at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in St. Paul Park, Minn.

Carlson responded that he “did not remember” 193 times to questions posed to him during the deposition.

The controversy stemmed from the archbishop’s response to a line of questioning about his grasp of child sex abuse laws.

“And you knew at all times, while a priest, having been ordained in 1970, it was a crime for an adult to engage in sex with a kid. You knew that, right?” Anderson asks Carlson.

“I’m going to object to the form of that question now. You’re talking about mandatory reporting,” Charles Goldberg, Carlson’s attorney who was present during the deposition, says.

“Okay. I’ll — if you don’t like the question, I’ll ask another question,” Anderson says.

A few moments later, Anderson says, “Objection heard. I’ll ask another question. Okay?”

“Go ahead,” Goldberg says.

“Archbishop, you knew it was a crime for an adult to engage in sex with a kid?” Anderson asks.

“I’m not sure whether I knew it was a crime or not. I understand today it’s a crime,” Carlson replies.

?Valerie Schremp Hahn covers nightside public safety for the Post-Dispatch. Follow her on Twitter at @valeriehahn.