A lawsuit filed today in U. S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri alleges priests at numerous southwest Missouri parishes, including St. Mary's in Joplin, St. Ann's in Carthage and St. Canera's in Neosho molested children.
The suit was filed by 10 people, all of whom are listed only by their initials, who are adults now, but say they were molested when they were children.
Listed as defendants in the lawsuit are the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau and Bishop Edward M. Rice.
The petition not only alleges sexual abuse of children, but says the abuse was covered up by church officials.
The coverup spanned decades, according to the petition.
For many decades, the Diocese has known of the sexual abuse perpetrated upon its young parishioners and children in the community by several of its employees, agents, servants, priests, reverends, brothers, nuns, teachers, chaplains, or other persons acting at the behest of, in the course and scope of employment of, and under the control of the Diocese and Bishop.Defendants often transferred the perpetrator to a different location within the Diocese and/or the Catholic Church or sent him away for treatment before returning him to unsupervised access to children. To the extent it published anything at all about this misconduct, the Defendants often came to the defense of the perpetrator even in the face of known sexual abuse.
The following cases are taken from the petition:
Sexual Abuse of J. B.
J.B. was born on November 20, 1979 and lived in Neosho, Missouri at the time of
the abuse set forth herein. J.B. attended S. Canera’s Catholic Church in Neosho, Missouri. J.B. was raised in a devoutly Catholic family. She attended church every Sunday
and was confirmed and had her first communion at St. Canera’s Catholic Church.
J.B.’s parents raised her to respect, trust, and obey the Catholic Church and its
employees. She was taught by both her parents and the Church that priests were the ultimate
authority and were to be trusted inherently.
J.B. was an altar server for many years, beginning when she was 9 or ten years old.
When Plaintiff became a teenager, Fr. Harth took an interest to her. He began taking her to the
room where the altar servers got ready. When there were no other children present, Fr. Harth would
kiss her, touch her breasts and genitals.
On one occasion, Fr. Harth had a newspaper clipping of Plaintiff playing basketball
and asked Plaintiff to come by and get a copy from him. When she arrived, he kissed her and
fondled her again. These events occurred at least monthly for approximately three years. Plaintiff told her mother in approximately 2019. Her mother, who is now deceased,
reported the abuse to the Diocese but no action was taken and the Diocese has never reached out
to her to conduct any kind of investigation.
Plaintiff engaged in psychological coping mechanisms that prevented her from
ascertaining the injuries from the abuse or its wrongfulness.
Sexual Abuse of E. R.
Between 1968 and 1970, Plaintiff was abused on multiple occasions by Fr. Reeker and Fr. Tom McCarthy. On those occasions, Fr. Reeker would babysit Plaintiff at the Rectory. Sometimes, Fr. Reeker would bathe Plaintiff and use the occasion to molest him and fondle him. Reeker also abused him in other rooms of the rectory.
Fr. McCarthy also abused Plaintiff. Usually that would occur at McCarthy’s home. There, McCarthy would bathe and fondle the plaintiff. McCarthy also took his clothing off and required Plaintiff to fondle his genitals.
On at least one occasion, Plaintiff’s parents arrived early and McCarthy and Reeker quickly dressed the boy stating that they had bathed claimant. At all relevant times, St. Canera’s Catholic Church and rectory were under the direct supervision, employ, and control of Defendants Diocese and Bishop.
Plaintiff told his father of the abuse early on but his father became irate and he never spoke of the abuse again. Plaintiff also told Fr. Reeker that Fr. McCarthy was abusing him but Fr. Reeker took no action. Plaintiff engaged psychological coping mechanisms that prevented him from ascertaining his injuries or their cause.
Sexual Abuse of M. D.
Msgr. Westheus touched Plaintiff’s genitals, performed oral sex on Plaintiff and forced Plaintiff to perform oral sex on the Priest on approximately 8 to 10 occasions.
As a child, Plaintiff told his father. His father did not believe him and as punishment made the boy hold a Bible out in the air until he was exhausted.
After that, Plaintiff told no one.
Sexual Abuse of V. F.
Plaintiff attended 8th grade at St. Ann’s. While he was there, the Priests called him a “charity case” who was at their mercy and if he broke any rule he would be suspended. He was at St. Ann’s because he had been kicked out of public school.
At all relevant times, St. Ann’s was under the direct supervision, employ, and control of Defendants Diocese and Bishop. The abuse occurred when the Priest called Plaintiff into his office in the rectory at St. Ann’s. There, the priest pulled down Plaintiff’s pants, fondled and Plaintiff and tried to force Plaintiff to touch him. The Priest also demanded oral sex and performed oral sex on the boy.
These abuses occurred approximately 10-12 times over the course of that school year.
Plaintiff never told anyone of the abuse.
The lawsuit also details alleged sexual abuse of plaintiffs in Kimberling City, Poplar Bluff, Malden, Springfield, Advance and West Plains.
The nine-count lawsuit alleges the following:
-Intentional failure to supervise clergy
-Negligent failure to supervise children and report sexual abuse
-Breach of special relationship/duty
-Fraud and conspiracy to commit fraud
-Fraudulent misrepresentation
-Constructive fraud
-Intentional infliction of emotional distress
-Aiding and abetting/ratification
The plaintiffs are asking for a jury trial and compenstatory, statutory and punitive damages, interest and expenses.
They are represented by attorney Rebecca M. Randles of Randles Mata, Kansas City.
(Note: Initially an address was included for the Neosho church that was incorrectly stated in the lawsuit. The address has been removed.)
12 comments:
This is always a terrible situation where people in power use that power to molest children, and their crimes are covered up and hidden. These Sick Bastards are in every facet of our Society, and we need to do whatever we can to Protect our Children.
All these Pedophiles should go to jail and be given jailhouse justice and live in a Special Hell when they die.
I would hope that all the Victims receive whatever Counseling and Financial Restitution they need to try and move forward in life!
The church is located at 504 S. Washington Street, Neosho, or at Hill and Wood. That address on Lafayette Street is a private home.
Thanks for the information. I just removed the address from the post and added a note to explain the removal.
The catholic church, when it hasn't served the generations of faithful followers as a pathway to a fruitful relationship with God, has been a blight to society and humanity in general, and as a result, has led many to question their own faith. Our founding fathers were wise enough to keep organized religion separated from government because they saw the church of England overstep and seek to control everything. Religion is important but not necessary to have a relationship with God. The Catholic Church and its excessive rules, including that of celibacy, have caused generations of sexual trauma, lies, and a legacy of suicide and death. It needs to come clean, remove the draconian rules on leadership and recognize our humanity. A relationship with God works better that way.
False religion. You don't worship people or Idols. God is the only one who is worthy of our worship. He is the true Savior. Not the priest, not Mary, not any so called saints. None of that is biblical.
So, they don’t say a word in their 20s, 30s, 40s, or 50s but now they do after the priests are gone and so is the evidence. The youngest accuser is 45. Looks like a hope for quick pay day for them and especially the lawyer who will take half.
Prove you don't have a clue in three sentences?
It can be done!
923, please return to your cave where you'll remain safe and secure. Additionally, you won't have to be concerned making cringeworthy statements just because the world has already passed you by......a long time ago.
9:23 I couldn’t imagine the trauma these people have lived with all those years, I’m confident that this would be an impossible task to overcome especially keeping it all to yourself. I’m blown away for your lack of understanding how traumatic this. So shameful
Yet this same person probably believes that all that pet eating nonsense spouted by Juicy Divan Vance and Trump are real figments of reality.
True!
Ah, so we see attacks and insults versus discussion of the points brought up. Typical. Two don’t even try, one uses emotion and the last attacks the unknown political. As I said, typical - you would rather engage in an echo chamber versus properly debate. Typical, but sad and pathetic.
Post a Comment