MINNESOTA
Winona Post
[Doe 1 Order Releasing Names of Credibly Accused Priests]
By Chris Rogers
On Monday, a St. Paul judge ordered the Diocese of Winona to release a list of names of 13 priests or former priests credibly accused of sexual abuse. That list includes five living priests from the Winona Diocese, none of whom are currently serving the church, and eight deceased priests, according to diocesan officials. Winona Diocese leaders indicated Tuesday they would comply with the court order.
The attorney seeking the release, Jeff Anderson, called the ruling a “turning point” for justice in priest abuse cases. Officials from the diocese said that the release might condemn accused individuals without a fair trial.
The diocese created the list in 2004 and argued against its release on Monday, as well as during previous court proceedings. The order requires the diocese to release the names, city of residence, ordination date, and assignment history of the 13 priests by December 17, and the same information by January 6, 2014, for any priests who have been credibly accused since 2004. The archdiocese of St. Paul is also required to release a list of 33 priests under the order. The lists are of “credibly accused” priests as determined by the diocese and archdiocese. The priests have not necessarily been found guilty. Diocese of Winona Director of Mission Advancement Joel Hennessy said that he was not privy to all instances of credible accusations since 2004, but acknowledged one such case involving a priest in Blue Earth. According to a Pioneer Press report, Father Leo Koppala was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl. A statement from Bishop John Quinn said that the diocese had not received any reports of sexual misconduct by Koppala prior to his arrest in that incident.
“There may not be a shocking number of new names” revealed in the list, but even one is incredibly important to victims and to public safety, said Anderson.
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