Judge Expected to Clear the Way for Civil Suit, KTIV [Iowa], September 21, 2006

Judge Expected to Clear the Way for Civil Suit

KTIV [Iowa]
September 21, 2006

http://www.ktiv.com/News/index.php?ID=4598

It sounds like a civil suit will likely stand against a former bishop of the Sioux City Catholic Diocese accused of sexually-abusing a former student.

Michael Gould says Bishop Lawrence Soens molested him while he attended Iowa City Regina high school.

His civil suit against the school, the Davenport Diocese, and the retired bishop is set to go to trial October 23rd.

However, school officials say Gould waited too long to report the allegations and file the suit.

Wednesday, the judge in the case told both sides that he plans to let the case go to trial, and let a jury decide.

"What this is all about is the truth being told, and right now the Diocese of Davenport, the Bishop Soens, and Regina High School are fighting that along the way and it's try for the true story of Bishop Soens to be told, and we're encouraged that Mike Gould is going to have the opportunity to do that," says Ann Green of Catholics for Spiritual Healing.

Though several allegations of sexual abuse have been leveled against Soens following his time in the Davenport Diocese, there have been no allegations connected to his time in Sioux City.