Local man claims abuse at hands of ex-priest
http://www.perrycountynews.com/articles/2005/10/31/top_story/t1.txt
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Minnesota attorney seeks others ‘to get them some help'
INDIANAPOLIS
- An ex-priest described as a “prolific molester” of young boys will
face civil-court actions in Indianapolis that will involve one Tell
City man, according to the lawyer representing several victims.
As
of last week, Minnesota attorney Patrick Noaker had filed complaints on
behalf of four “John Does” who allegedly suffered sexual abuse at the
hands of the former Rev. Harry E. Monroe. Noaker said Thursday he
expected to file another suit this week based on allegations from a
Tell City resident.
In addition to Monroe, officials from the
Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis are named as defendants because
they allegedly knew the priest was a child molester when they moved him
from “a high-profile church in Indianapolis to a lower-profile church
in Terre Haute ... and he molested kids there,” Noaker said.
The
archdiocese then “moved him to Tell City, a small little berg, and he
ended up molesting children there,” the lawyer continued. The idea that
church officials thought they could hide the allegedly abusive priest
in a small town “offends me a lot,” he said, explaining he grew up in a
small Indiana town, “and those could have been my friends” (molested).
Noaker
said the Tell City victim's identity is also being withheld because he
is “horrified that people might find out” what was done to him.
Church leaders told members of one community the priest would no longer be a threat to children.
“The folks in Terre Haute were told he'd be taken out of ministry,” Noaker told The News.
Monroe's
whereabouts are unknown and a call to his attorney Friday was not
returned. The archdiocese office was closed Friday, so the News was
unable to seek comment from them.
Nellie Peter, secretary at St.
Paul Church in Tell City, confirmed Friday Monroe is included in a list
of resident pastors for St. Michael Church in Cannelton, and served
there from 1982 to '84. “I can't say for sure he was at St. Paul, but I
do admit we don't have a good history for St. Paul,” she said.
Noaker
continues to compile information about Monroe and said he's interested
in hearing from anyone who might have information about the ex-priest's
activities - people who were abused or knew about abuse. He understands
people are often reluctant to report this kind of crime because it's
sexual in nature and because of the homosexual aspect, but “we've got
to get them some help, get them counselors,” he said.
Noaker can
be reached at (651) 227-9990 or by writing to Patrick Noaker, Attorney
at Law; 332 Minnesota St., Suite E-1000; St. Paul MN 55101.