Priest Abuse

Kansas City, MO: (Sep-26-07) Frank Scheuring, a 47-year old Independence man brought a lawsuit against Francis E. McGlynn, a former Roman Catholic priest, alleging that the priest sexually abused him in the 1970s. Scheuring was 11-years-old when he confided during confessional that a neighbor was sexually abusing him. Instead of intervening, the suit alleged that McGlynn began his own three-year affair with the boy. Meanwhile, the neighbor continued to abuse Scheuring. Sources stated that he was told during that time that the abuse perpetrated upon him by the priest was the priest's way of showing the love of God. When Scheuring realized in 2002 that he had been abused, he attempted suicide in a bathroom filled with religious icons and was hospitalized. He filed the lawsuit in 2003.

In a settlement reached, the diocese agreed to pay $225,000 to end the lawsuit. McGlynn, who agreed to pay $2,000 of the settlement, previously denied the abuse charges through his attorney. It was a Missouri Supreme Court's ruling last year that changed the state deadline for victims to file lawsuits. In its June 2006 ruling, the state Supreme Court said that the state deadline for filing sexual abuse lawsuits is triggered not by when a wrongdoing is committed, but by when victims are capable of realizing the damage they suffered. This paved way for the settlement to be reached less than a week before the case was scheduled to go to trial in Jackson County Circuit Court. As part of the settlement, Scheuring and his family also talked to members of the diocese about ways to prevent abuse. [HAYS DAILY NEWS: PRIEST ABUSE]

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Published on Sep-27-07