WAUSAU (WI)
Wausau Daily Herald
February 5, 2020
By Laura Schulte
La Crosse – The Diocese of La Crosse has so far released no information about the number of children who were sexually assaulted by the 25 priests on its list of abusers, nor any details about when or where the abuse happened.
The diocese released the list of credibly accused abusers on Jan. 18 but said Bishop William Patrick Callahan would not take questions about the release, nor did the Catholic institution provide any background information about the firm that conducted the review, Defenbaugh & Associates, of Kaufman, Texas.
Since the day the list was released, diocese spokesman Jack Felsheim has not responded to multiple messages from the Wausau Daily Herald requesting an interview with the bishop. The founder of Defenbaugh & Associates told the Daily Herald he couldn’t disclose information about the investigation.
The review found that 25 priests who served in churches and schools in the diocese over several decades had been credibly accused of abusing children, but left out many details.
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