MINNESOTA
WDIO
St. Louis County Attorney Mark Rubin says he cannot prosecute alleged cases of sexual abuse by clergy because the cases were reported after the statute of limitations expired and three alleged victims do not wish to pursue charges.
On Tuesday, the Catholic Diocese of Duluth released a list of priests who had been “credibly accused” of sexual abuse of a minor. The allegations stretch across the ten-county diocese from 1950 to the present. Most of the clergymen are now deceased.
In a statement issued Thursday, Rubin said the allegations were not made until the statute of limitations had expired. He said he had spoken with three women who said they were abused by Father Cornelius Kelleher, but, besides the statute of limitations issue, none wished to have the allegations turned over to law enforcement.
“The fact that these courageous women have come forward for the first time after so many years have passed exemplifies the harsh reality that sexual abuse has a life-long impact on victims. The women were afraid to tell anyone at the time the sexual abuse had occurred. Their fear was that they would not be believed and that matters would only be worse for them. These continue to be the concerns we hear from many victims similarly situated,” Rubin said.
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