ILLINOIS
Madison-St. Clair Record
January 7, 2013
By Bethany Krajelis
A pair of St. Clair County lawsuits alleging sexual abuse by a former priest has spurred a battle over insurance coverage.
TIG Insurance Company on Monday filed a complaint in federal court, seeking declaratory judgment that it doesn’t have a duty to defend the Diocese of Belleville or former priest Raymond Kownacki in the underlying suits.
Brought by John Doe S.W. in 2011 and John Doe S. in July 2012, the two separate suits accuse Kownacki of sexual abuse in the 1980s, when they were both minors attending St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Valmeyer.
Kownacki, who is retired and lives in St. Louis, was removed from the ministry in the mid-90s after multiple allegations of sexual abuse were lodged against him.
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