A sexual abuse review board from the Madison Catholic Diocese has determined that an allegation of child sexual abuse against a priest, the Reverend Joseph Gibbs Clauder is "credible", reports the Wisconsin State Journal. Clauder had been placed on administrative leave in 1999 after the diocese had heard earlier credible allegations of sexual misconduct against him. The accuser in this case does not wish to be made public, so the gender of the child victim involved is not known, nor the details of the allegations, other than "child sexual abuse".
Clauder had also been involved earlier in a legal dispute in the 90's in which a woman claimed that she had been involved with Clauder in a sexual relationship, and sued the diocese for not taking action and investigating him. The claim of negligence by the diocese was rejected by the court at that time.
Clauder had served in the Madison area as an associate priest at both the Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Monona and St. Dennis Parish in Madison as well as a chaplain at the Madison General Hospital (now closed). He was removed from public ministry in 1999. There have been no charges filed against Clauder but a police spokesman said that they have the right to investigate claims against abusing priests that they hear about through the media. However, in many cases the victims do not wish for their case to become public and do not make a formal complaint.
If you or a loved one has been a victim of clergy abuse, it can be crucial to your future to get assistance from a clergy abuse attorney. The legal team at the Zalkin Law Firm has helped countless victims receive compensation for damages in cases involving priest abuse and other abuse crimes committed by unethical religious leaders.
