COLUMBIA (MO)
Columbia Missourian
December 17, 2018
By Emily Johnson
Two names were added to the list of priests and religious leaders accused of abuse and released by the Diocese of Jefferson City over the weekend.
The original list, released on Nov. 8 by Bishop W. Shawn McKnight, contained 33 names. The two additions brought the total to 35.
The two names added are Don Greene and Mel Lahr, and the status of Robert Duesdieker was changed. Greene is no longer living. Lahr was removed from the ministry along with Duesdieker. Lahr’s removal was due to a “credible allegation of violation of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People,” the diocese said via a statement on its website. Duesdieker was also removed for a violation of the charter.
Duesdieker’s status was changed, as Bishop W. Shawn McKnight believed the standards for the Charter for The Protection of Children and Young People were now applicable. Previously, Duesdieker was “unsuitable for ministry out of concern for the safety of our youth,” according to the diocese’s website.
On December 5, the Diocesan Review Board recommended the two names be added and one status be changed, which Bishop W. Shawn McKnight approved.
Helen Osman, director of diocesan communications, said the two additional allegations were reviewed after the release of the initial list on Nov. 8, thus delaying their additions to the list of accused.
The diocese has said the last case of abuse occurred in 1997. After that, the diocese said it received two credible allegations of violations of the U.S. Bishops’ Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. One of the violations was inappropriate use of social media, and the other involved internet pornography depicting minors.
The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), a support group for individuals harmed by religious authorities, has been critical of the diocese’s efforts at transparency about abuse within the church.
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