St. John’s Abbey Priest, Accused of Child Sex Abuse, Dies

CBS Minnesota
May 29, 2015

http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2015/05/29/st-johns-abbey-priest-accused-of-child-sexual-abuse-dies/

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — A retired St. John’s Abbey priest accused of sexually abusing children is dead.

The law office of Jeff Anderson and Associates announced Friday that Father Richard Eckroth passed away this week at the age of 88.

Allegations of abuse against Eckroth date back to the late 60s and early 70s, when he was accused of sexually abusing children that he took to a St. John’s Abbey-owned cabin in Bemidji.

Three adult survivors of his alleged abuse are being represented by Attorney Jeff Anderson.

“Eckroth plied children, some as young as eight years old, with alcohol and often employed means of coercion and threats of violence to accomplish his abuse,” Anderson said.

Anderson and Associates released a document Friday from St. Luke’s Institute concerning Eckroth. The report, written in 1993, reveals Eckroth was sent to the institute by St. John’s Abbey for evaluation of sexual deviancy and abuse.