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LA CROSSE DIOCESE POLICY SCRUTINIZED
Friday, February 5th, 2010 -- 10:24 am
Posted by Riley Hebert-News Director
The new Bishop of the Milwaukee Catholic Diocese is under fire for allegedly misleading lawmakers about the notification procedure for clergy sex abuse allegations in the La Crosse Diocese, where he previously served as archbishop.
Eau Claire Police Chief Jerry Matysik says Jerome Listecki’s actions show he’s “more interested in protecting the organization than he is in protecting children.”
Matysik has written state legislators saying he takes issue with the La Crosse Diocese policy that directs those with accusations of clergy sex abuse involving children to notify the diocese - rather than authorities.
He claims former La Crosse bishop Jerome Listecki lied about the policy during a Jan. 12 Senate Judiciary hearing.
Matysik’s comments come as a visiting Catholic priest is accused of inappropriately touching a woman he was counseling.
Rev. Edmund Donkor-Baine was arrested last month on a tentative charge of fourth-degree sexual assault against a 47-year-old woman in August.
La Crosse County Sheriff's Capt. Kurt Papenfuss said the woman first reported the incident to the diocese, but it dismissed the allegations as not credible. A sheriff's department report says she continued to press the diocese about the complaint but they didn't respond. She then went to the sheriff's department.
A study for the U.S. Conference of Bishops found that the La Crosse Diocese sided with priests over victims in 64% of cases, compared with the national average of just less than 10%.
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