MINNESOTA
KARE
ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Minnesota Supreme Court issued a ruling Wednesday that upholds the conviction of a priest on third degree sexual assault.
The decision means Christopher Wenthe will not receive a new trial on charges he repeatedly had sexual relations with a 21-year-old parishioner he was allegedly counseling.
The priest admitted having a relationship with the woman, who was struggling with bulimia and past sexual abuse, but said it did not happen while he was giving her counsel. Wenthe was an assistant priest at Nativity Catholic Church in St. Paul during the time of the sexual relationship.
Wenthe was convicted in 2011 and sentenced to 57 months in prison, but was granted a new trial by the Minnesota Court of Appeals in 2012 when the Minnesota Court of Appeals found that the religious evidence used against Wenthe violated his constitutional rights.
In today’s ruling the Supreme Court disagreed 4-1, saying that a law banning sexual encounters between a member of the clergy and someone he or she is offering counsel does not excessively entangle religion in the legal process.
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