No charges against North Dakota priests accused of sex abuse
By DAVE KOLPACK Associated Press
Jan 5, 2021
FARGO, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota's attorney general said Monday his office's 18-month investigation into allegations of child sexual abuse by members of the state's two Roman Catholic dioceses will not result in any charges because too much time has passed to prosecute the two lone living clergy members.
Muggli's name was not on the original list but state Bureau of Criminal Investigation followed up on a lead during their investigation. When reached by phone Monday at Assumption Abbey, Muggli paused for several seconds when asked by The Associated Press if he wanted to comment.
“How would I respond? No, I don’t want to respond,” Muggli said.
Zach Hiner, executive director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, or SNAP, credited investigators with uncovering Muggli and said the fact his name wasn't on the original list shows “the kind of hair-splitting that regularly happens” when bishops release lists of abusive priests. Stenehjem said the North Dakota dioceses do not have jurisdiction over the Order of St. Benedict at Assumption Abbey.
“With every investigation that has been undertaken so far, more abusers have been identified and more patterns of deception on the part of church leaders have been made public,” Hiner said. “This is just another example of why such an investigation should be undertaken by attorneys general in every single state.”
A third priest who was investigated, the Rev. John Owens, died in October while the investigation was still ongoing, Stenehjem said. The other priests on the list were dead when agents began their probe.
“I regret it will not be possible to have these men face their victims at a trial and face the potential consequences, but I hope it brings a measure of comfort to the victims that these crimes were eventually investigated,” Stenehjem said in a statement.
They will, I believe, face their victims in court, and will suffer the consequences of not just abusing children, but of pretending to represent God while they did so. Their consequences will be very severe!
Fargo Diocese spokesman Paul Braun said Stenhjem's findings are “consistent with our own internal review” and the diocese will continue to follow legal civil reporting requirements.
A number for Dukart could not be found.
The North Dakota dioceses began compiling their lists of accused priests following revelations in Pennsylvania in 2018 that more than 300 priests had been credibly accused of molesting more than 1,000 children. The dioceses made their lists public on Jan. 2, 2020.
'Absolute silence': Journalists asked to sign confidentiality agreement over report into child abuse by German Catholic Church
6 Jan 2021 17:13
FILE PHOTO © Unsplash / Adam Boyle
Journalists in the German city of Cologne have walked out of a press conference after Catholic Church officials asked them to sign a confidentiality agreement pledging their silence over an unpublished report into child abuse.
The Archdiocese of Cologne organized the event to discuss the methodology of the report, which Archbishop Rainer Maria Woelki said was the reason it had still not been released to the public, according to Deutsche Welle.
The eight journalists invited to the briefing were shown a redacted version of the document and asked by church officials to remain silent on information regarding the alleged abusers and their crimes.
All attendees reportedly rejected requests to sign the confidentiality agreement, which apparently read: "The journalist commits himself to exercise absolute silence regarding this information."
Woelki has been accused of a cover-up by not informing the Vatican about a sexual abuse allegation involving a priest dating back to 2014, after Woelki became Archbishop of Cologne.
He initially promised a report into abuse allegations in Cologne in 2018, but he delayed its release at the end of October, saying it was "not legally valid," contained prejudices, and had issues with regards to its methodology.
"Serious mistakes were repeatedly made for decades," Woelki admitted in November, as he accused two of his predecessors, Joseph Hoffner and Joachim Meisner, of covering up sexual abuse in Cologne.
A local criminal law expert, Bjorn Gercke, has reportedly now been asked to compile a new report for release in March.
Munich law firm Westpfahl Spilker Wastl, which had been handling the report, has denied Woelki's allegations that it was not methodologically sound.
Chicago priest Michael Pfleger on sex abuse allegation: I am devastated
Father Michael Pfleger, senior pastor of the St. Sabina parish in Chicago, is “devastated, hurt” and angry after being asked to step aside after an allegation was made against him of sexual abuse of a minor, Pfleger said in a post on his Facebook page.
In the post, the social activist said his “life is more than a 40-year-old accusation,” and asked his supporters to pray for him and “for the person,” seemingly referring to his accuser.
It may be that his life is more than a 40 y/o accusation, but it is not more than the life of the accuser, who, if true, has probably spent the last 40 years suffering from their abuse. That should be your real concern as a Christian. It's like he thinks the good thinks he's done, nullify the bad.
According to Pfleger, the diocese asked him “not to speak out at this time,” but he took to Facebook to post the short statement on Wednesday. “I can’t possibly respond to the hundreds of Texts, emails, and calls that I have received from all across the nation since yesterday,” Pfleger said.
“I am devastated, hurt and yes angry, but I am first, a person of Faith, I Trust God. Please keep me in prayer and the Faith Community of St. Sabina,” Pfleger said.
Well, that's unique! In the several years, I have been posting about paedophile priests on this blog, this is the first one to ask for prayer, and the first one to even mention the Name of God!
Pfleger was asked to step aside after the archdiocese received the allegation against him, according to a letter to the faith community from Cardinal Blase Cupich, archbishop of Chicago.
In the letter Tuesday, which was also addressed to the St. Sabina Academy, Cupich said the Archdiocese of Chicago’s Office for Child Abuse Investigations and Review had received an allegation of an incident that happened more than 40 years ago.
Pfleger joined the predominantly Black parish in 1981, according to the parish website. He is often asked to preside over funeral services for murder victims and has been outspoken on issues of city politics.
The allegation was also reported to the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services and Cook County State’s Attorney, as is policy, the cardinal’s letter said.
In a statement, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office said it received a letter from the archdiocese on Tuesday about allegations against Pfleger that were reported to the archdiocese on Monday.
“It is not clear that the Chicago Police Department (CPD) had been notified by the Archdiocese about these allegations. Out of an abundance of caution we are notifying CPD so they can investigate the matter and seek charges if appropriate,” the state’s attorney’s office said.
CNN has reached out to the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services and the Chicago Police Department for comment on the investigation.
Pfleger has agreed to step aside and live away from the parish during the investigation, Cupich said in his letter. Father Thulani Magwaza will serve as temporary administrator of St. Sabina Parish.
“Allegations are claims that have not been proven as true or false,” Cupich said in his letter. “Therefore, guilt or innocence should not be assumed.”
“It is crucial that you know nothing is more important than the welfare of the children entrusted to our care. The Archdiocese of Chicago takes all allegations of sexual misconduct seriously and encourages anyone who feels they have been sexually abused by a priest, deacon, religious or lay employee to come forward,” he said.
A statement from St. Sabina said, in part, “We, the Cabinet of the Faith Community of St. Sabina, believe that these accusations are unfounded, and we boldly stand behind the integrity, passion, work and ministry of our Pastor, Rev. Michael Pfleger … We understand there is a process & protocol of the Archdiocese of Chicago and will fully cooperate, However, we believe that our Sr. Pastor will be fully exonerated from all accusations.”
CNN has reached out to Pfleger for comment.
Pfleger, a longtime activist on Chicago’s South Side, has gained a national reputation for speaking out on policing, gun violence, community inequality and other issues.
In 2019, Cardinal Cupich denounced Pfleger for hosting a speech by Louis Farrakhan, saying the church should not have provided a platform for the Nation of Islam leader to “smear” the Jewish people.
“This is a free-speech issue,” Pfleger told CNN. “I don’t agree with everything Minister Farrakhan has said. I don’t agree with anyone on everything, but we are in a dangerous time when we can no longer have dialogue without demonizing one another.”
Where in the Bible does it tell you to have a dialogue with demons. Nobody demonized Farrakhan but himself. That you didn't see that reveals a complete lack of discernment. People who are genuinely close to God have discernment. Pfleger needs much more prayer than his alleged victim.
Letter: Archdiocese 'closes the door' on victims of
clergy related sex abuse?
BY ROGER STETTER
JAN 6, 2021 - 6:00 PM
Regarding "Archdiocese owes Catholics promise not to fail again," the Dec. 23 editorial.
Brignac was indicted for child rape only after my client testified before a secular body, i.e. an Orleans Parish grand jury, earlier this year.
The Archdiocese of New Orleans is now using the bankruptcy laws to close the doors against past victims of clergy sex abuse.
Can the faithful believe church fathers are truly concerned for the victims, or only in protecting themselves?
They keep saying it's the most important thing, but their actions don't justify their words.
ROGER STETTER
attorney
New Orleans
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