Diocese of New Ulm Quietly Releases Names of Clerics with Allegations of Sexual Abuse of Minors

Jeff Anderson & Associates
March 13, 2015

http://www.andersonadvocates.com/Posts/News-or-Event/1960/New-Ulm-Diocese-Quietly-Releases-Names-of-Credibly-Accused.aspx

Father Dennis Becker

Publicly Named for the First Time

The Diocese of New Ulm quietly released the names of four accused clerical offenders. One offender, Father Dennis Becker, was publicly named for the first time. To our knowledge the media and general public were not alerted to this important announcement. The names released include:

• Father Dennis Becker

• Father David Roney

• Father John Murphy

• Father Michael Skoblik

Any time there is a release of information about offenders, it is a step forward. However, when done quietly and without substantive disclosure there’s still a lack of transparency.

The Diocese’s release raises several questions: Why has the Diocese of New Ulm fought sexual abuse survivors and their advocates and concealed the release of the full list of credibly accused clerics? What additional secrets are hidden regarding offenders known only to top officials at this point in time?

Until there is a full, complete and rigorous disclosure by the New Ulm Diocese there is a peril to the community. The survivors who were harmed are still suffering alone in silence. We urge the Diocese of New Ulm and the Bishop to come completely clean, stop the legal maneuvering and resistance to the disclosure, and be transparent.

We remain committed to making sure that children in the communities are safe and to helping the survivors that have been harmed by the many clerics whose identities have remained secret to everyone but the top officials. Every effort will be made to make sure that this information becomes public, both for healing and prevention.