A lawsuit was filed against the Diocese of Crookston on Thursday by a young woman who claims she was sexually abused by a Greenbush, Minnesota parish priest named Joseph Jeyapaul reports The Grand Forks Herald. The priest is no longer in the country, and had gone back to India where he is from. He was brought over by the parish as a visiting priest, and the lawsuit claims that the Diocese was informed of the clergy abuse in 2006 and it was thought to be credible. By then, Jeyapaul was gone and was not invited back to the parish.
Apparently many priests are now brought in from other countries as there is a shortage of priests in many parishes. There are three priests from India, and a fourth on his way in the Crookston parish. The lawsuit asks for damages of more than $50,000, and the victim claims that she has suffered severe emotional problems since Jeyapaul sexually abused her in the Church. She is now 19 or 20 years old.
This case is different than many recent clergy abuse cases, as the alleged crime happened only a few years ago, rather than many cases which have dated back 25 years or more. No matter when it happens, clergy abuse is a horrible damaging crime and any religious leader who abuses children needs to be brought to justice. If you or a loved one has been the victim of clergy abuse, either recently or in the distant past, contact a clergy abuse attorney to help you. The Zalkin Law Firm team has successfully helped many victims in clergy abuse lawsuits get the compensation they deserve, and will always treat you with understanding and sympathy.
