Church sex abuse trial opens in Seattle

By Chris Daniels
KING 5 News
May 12, 2009

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Seattle - He was a Spokane priest who sexually abused dozens of children.

Today the trial began in case that accuses the Seattle Archdiocese of ignoring his history and not preventing more assaults.

Former priest Patrick O'Donnell matter-of-factly admits he molested several young boys who attended his parishes during the 1970s.

O'Donnell's testimony today is key to a civil lawsuit filed by two men, now in their mid-40s, who allege O'Donnell was kicked out of the Spokane diocese to get treatment for his sexual urges and sent to the

Seattle Archdiocese, where he lived and worked at Saint Paul's parish.

The men claim former Seattle Archbishop Raymond Hunthausen and senior leadership knew of O'Donnell's past, but did nothing to prevent him from having contact with and molesting young boys.

One man says O'Donnell repeatedly raped him. The retelling of the story today, more than 30 years later, brought him to tears.

"There are some things in life that get broken that cannot be put back together the way they were," said Tim Kosnoff, plaintiffs' attorney. "Each of us only gets one childhood."

But attorneys for the Seattle Archdiocese say O'Donnell was never part of their organization, no one issued a warning to Hunthausen or anyone else, and it didn't hear any allegations of sex abuse until decades later.

"Absolutely sexual abuse is wrong, should be eradicated, should never happen," said Michael Patterson, defense attorney. "But you must keep an open mind."

A couple of O'Donnell's victims are expected to testify tomorrow, and the former Archbishop Hunthausen will testify Thursday. The trial could last a few weeks.

This is the first case of priest sex abuse to be heard in Western Washington.

O'Donnell was never charged criminally because the statute of limitations ran out. But the church has settled with several of his victims in Spokane.