Five Priest Files Obtained in Doe 1 Civil Lawsuit to be Publicly Released Tomorrow

Jeff Anderson & Associates
May 18, 2014

http://www.andersonadvocates.com/Posts/News-or-Event/1814/Media-AdvisoryFive-St-Johns-Priest-Files-to-be-Released-Monday.aspx

Media Advisory

 St. Paul News Conference Monday

Richard Eckroth, St. John’s, Named in Lawsuit on Behalf of Two “Cabin Kids”

What: At a news conference on Monday in St. Paul former priest and monk Patrick Wall, along with attorneys Jeff Anderson and Mike Bryant, will:

· Release the files of five St. John’s monks accused of sexually abusing children who worked in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Files to be released include Robert Blumeyer, Cosmas Dahlheimer, Thomas Gillespie, Francis Hoefgen and Brennan Maiers. The files were obtained in a lawsuit filed in Ramsey County in 2013 involving the Archdiocese, Diocese of Winona and Father Thomas Adamson.

· Announce the filing of a sexual abuse lawsuit filed in Stearns County on behalf of two Minnesota men, Doe 33 and Doe 34, naming the Order of St. Benedict a/k/a and d/b/a St. John’s Abbey, and Richard Eckroth. The young boys, now adults, were parishioners at St. Joseph’s in St. Joseph, MN when Eckroth sexually abused them at a cabin in Northern Minnesota in the early 1970s. They are two of many kids believed to be raped and abused by Eckroth while a monk who is now, “on restriction at the abbey.”

Request that St. John’s release the files of the five monks as well as the files on all 17 clerics from St. John’s who have been credibly accused of sexual abuse involving minor children.

WHEN: Monday, May 19, 2014 at 12:00 PM CDT

WHERE: Jeff Anderson & Associates 366 Jackson Street, Suite 100 St. Paul, MN 55101

WHO: Patrick J. Wall, former priest and monk, works for Jeff Anderson & Associates as a consultant and advocate for sexual abuse survivors. Jeff Anderson has represented thousands of sexual abuse survivors for over 30 years and Mike Bryant of the firm Bradshaw & Bryant in St. Cloud has partnered with Jeff Anderson to help sexual abuse survivors in Minnesota obtain justice and healing.

Notes:

· Copies of the priest files, summaries and timelines will be available at the press conference and on our website tomorrow and the event will be live-streamed online with links available at www.andersonadvocates.com.

Contact Patrick Wall: Office: 651.583.7633 Cell: 949.307.3935 Contact Jeff Anderson: Office: 651.583.7633 Cell: 612.817.8665 Contact Mike Bryant: Office: 320.259.5414 Cell: 800.359.0061