By Kristen Johnson
KTIV [Iowa]
February 10, 2006
http://www.ktiv.com/News/NewsDetail63.cfm?ID=26,10175
Continuing litigation against a former Sioux City bishop is shedding light on the allegations against him. Lawrence Soens is accused of inappropriately touching students while he was principal at an Iowa City school back in the 1960's. One man now says the former bishop involved him in an act called "purpling," which causes bruising of the chest.
Soens is also accused of fondling several students during his tenure in the Davenport diocese. They're accusations that Soens adamantly denies. "Bishop Soens denies the allegations and he will continue to deny them in court," says Soens' Attorney, Tim Bottaro. Soens breaks his silence about the sexual abuse case against him, through his attorney. And, for the first time, we hear exactly what he's accused of.
On Monday, lawyers for his accuser filed this document against the former Sioux City bishop. It's the investigation the Davenport diocese launched against Soens in 2002. In it the accuser says on more than one occasion, Father Soens rubbed his hand against his private parts. But, under the 2002 sexual misconduct policy of the Davenport diocese... A committee found the actions "not sexual in nature." instead, they say those were inappropriate disciplinary measures. A year after the committee handed down it's findings, the U.S. Conference of Bishops met, and the the diocese's sexual misconduct policy was changed. "Those set out a number of rules and requirements for diocese to follow in investigating complains of sexual abuse, in disciplining priests, and essentially set down some zero-tolerance rules for sexual abuse of minors by clergy," says Rand Wonio, Davenport diocese Attorney.
The diocese has closed it's investigation into Soens and sent it's findings to the Vatican in Rome. There are 10 accusations against Soens. One of which has already been settled out of court. The accuser received $20,000 from the church No accusations have ever been made against Soens while he was in Sioux City.
Despite changes to it's sexual misconduct policy, the diocese says it will not revisit the issue. Soens' civil trial is set to begin in the fall.
Groups like "SNAP," the Survivors Network for those Abused by Priests, and "Catholics for Spiritual Healing" have asked the church to take a closer look at the abuse allegations against the clergy. Just last week they met with leaders, in Des Moines, to voice their complaints.
At that meeting they say they asked the head of the Davenport diocese three times, if an independent investigation of soens had ever been made. They were told it hadn't. "I think its an an insult to we victims to be hiding behind Canon law," says Al Burke, Catholics of Spiritual Healing. "As citizens you need to have enough backbone as leaders of the catholic church and each diocese to stand up and stay its not only a cover up, its immoral."
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