Nevada clerical abuse survivor sues diocese who knew Irish priest’s past

Read more: Irish priest accused of rape fights extradition, wants bail

Read more: Irish seek U.S. priest to face rape charge

A U.S. clerical abuse survivor, who was abused by an Irish priest, Reverend Francis Markey, is suing the Diocese of New Ulm, Minesota, the Diocese of Clogher, County Tyrone and medical facilities in the U.S. and Europe for fraud and conspiring to conceal a priest pedophilic activities.

The survivor, from Nevada, said that all of these groups concealed Reverend Markey’s history and medical diagnosis although he was likely to reoffend.

The Las Vegas Sun reports that the lawsuit stated “Defendants knew that upon transfer to the Diocese of New Ulm, it was almost predetermined that Fr. Markey, a predator always hunting for children to abuse, would continue to sexually abuse minors.”

The plaintiff claims that Markey sexually abused him in 1982 in and around the parish of Saint Andrew Catholic Church in Granite Falls. He was just eight-years-old and was receiving training for his Holy Communion from Markey.

According to the claim Reverend Markey was ordained in 1952 and started his career in the priesthood in the Diocese of Clogher, County Tyrone.

Between the years 1964 and 1974 he was suspended from his position three times due to allegations of sexually abusing children. He was sent for treatment each time according to the lawsuit. Each time he was reinstated into the priesthood.

In 1981 he was sent to a facility in Jemez Springs, New Mexico, for treatment. In 1982 he was assigned to New Ulm. He was stripped of his duties in 1981after parents had complained that he was overly affectionate with the boys in the community.

In 1990 he moved to South Bend, Indiana where he counseled drug and alcohol abusers. In 2009 he was arrested on charges that he had twice raped a 15-year-old boys in Ireland in 1968. Last year he was extradited to Ireland to face those charges.

A statement released by the Diocese of New Ulm on Monday said they had no prior knowledge of this lawsuit and were reviewing their situation.

The Nevada plaintiff’s attorney, Patrick Noaker, said that the hospital know Markey was dangerous and yet the diocese and the hospitals worked together to move him around until he ended up at St Andrew Parish.

He said “Basically the parishioners there had no idea that this guy had such a checkered past…They weren't told any of that.”

He referred to the case as an example of “international trafficking of pedophile priests.”

"It is a global crisis. This is a case that shows these priests were moved to other dioceses, and even to other countries."