DUBUQUE (IA)
WGLR [Platteville WI]
February 21, 2025
By Courtney Chaffee
New details are coming to light in three civil lawsuits against the Archdiocese of Dubuque and former priest Leo Riley.
The plaintiffs, who filed these lawsuits in Charlotte County, Florida, where Riley now lives, allege the abuse happened in Dubuque in the 1980s. The amended complaint filed this week states that the plaintiffs did not fully recall the abuse until April 2023 due to repressed memories.
The Florida Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests Chapter says this is common in childhood sexual abuse cases, even when the abuse happened nearly 40 years ago.
The updated complaint withdrew a claim for punitive damages but still accuses Riley of three counts relating to the sexual abuse of altar boys at Resurrection Parish in Dubuque. It also alleges five counts against the Archdiocese of Dubuque, claiming they knew or should have known about the abuse and failed to disclose it.