Diocese of Winona Releases New Info on Abusive Priests

Winona Daily News
June 23, 2014

http://www.winonadailynews.com/news/local/diocese-of-winona-releases-new-info-on-abusive-priests/article_cd6b9861-3b8d-55fa-b24d-1a595a99ff2d.html

Bishop John Quinn told a Monday morning news conference that he bleieves the sexual abuse alleged against 13 former priests of the Winona diocese actually did take place.

"They don't make these things up," he said of those who have come forward to report sexual abuse.

Prior to the bishop's statement, the Diocese distributed a summary of the accusations made against each priest, a photo, brief biography and a list of their pastoral assignments. The information will be made available on the diocesan website.

The information released Monday expands upon the information that accompanied the initial release of the names of the 13 "credibly accused" priests on Dec. 16. Quinn said the information was compiled with the concern to protect the identity of victims and the innocent and to comply "with privacy laws related to medical and mental-health information.

“We are committed first and foremost for the compassionate healing for the victims and their families," said Bishop John Quinn in a statement. "We remain steadfast to finding and telling the truth and are vigilantly committed to ensuring these unspeakable crimes against children never happen again."

The abuse occurred primarily in the 1970s and 1980s. Nine of the 13 priests on the list are deceased, two have been laicized, and two are pending laicization. None are in active ministry.

The highest-profile priest on the list, Thomas Adamson, has admitted to having sexual contact with at least a dozen boys over two decades of ministry, stopping only when one of his victims came forward publicly in 1984. He continues to draw a monthly pension check from the diocese, as required by law, the diocese has said.