MINNESOTA
St. Cloud Times
David Unze, dunze@stcloudtimes.com
April 6, 2016
A Stearns County judge has ordered the Diocese of St. Cloud to turn over the files of all priests who have been accused of the sexual abuse of children.
And in a separate order, a different judge has denied the diocese’s request to dismiss a claim that it created a “public nuisance” by not telling the public about child-molesting priests with connections to the diocese.
The orders, filed within the last week, mean that lawyers representing clergy sex abuse victims will have a chance to review those files and release portions to the public. In one other Minnesota diocese, the release of similar files led to criminal charges.
The two decisions are a “one-two punch to the long-standing practices of concealment and deceit by the Diocese of St. Cloud,” said Attorney Jeff Anderson.
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