MISSOURI
Lincoln County Journal
By Megan Myers
Staff Writer
An emotional scene unfolded inside a Lincoln County courtroom Thursday, after a jury ruled in favor of a Catholic priest who had been accused of sexually abusing a minor.
The jury deliberated for about two hours before reaching their decision.
No punitive damages were awarded to the plaintiff in the civil suit on either counts of sex assault or battery.
The female accuser, who lived in Old Monroe during the time of the alleged abuse, left the room in tears after the verdict was read by St. Louis judge Steven Ohmer.
Her family and legal team joined her outside the courtroom, where they declined to comment on the ruling.
The accused priest, Father Xui Hui “Joseph” Jiang, also reacted emotionally when the verdict was read. He collapsed into the arms of his defense counsel and sobbed loudly.
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