(WCCO\/AP) \u2014 The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis is facing new accusations of child sexual abuse by a priest.<\/p>\n
Those claims are part of a new lawsuit filed by a Twin Cities man who said he was molested by Father Francis Hoefgen, who had already admitted to sexually abusing children. Lawyers held a news conference Tuesday on the matter and are asking the church to hand over more information.<\/p>\n
The plaintiff in this suit wants the names of clerics and priests who have been credibly accused of molesting children. Attorneys named the priest at the center of this lawsuit, Hoefgen, and explained why he should not have still been in the priesthood.<\/p>\n
The lawsuit filed Tuesday says Rev. Francis Hoefgen molested the man from 1989 through 1992 when the victim was 10 to 13 years old. Hoefgen was at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton church at the time.<\/p>\n
The lawsuit alleges defendants should have known Hoefgen was a danger because he molested another boy in 1983 at St. Boniface rectory in Cold Spring. Hoefgen admitted the abuse to police in a signed statement but wasn\u2019t charged. Lawyer Jeff Anderson said Father Hoefgen admitted to police that he molested a child back in 1984. Anderson said Hoefgen was sent for an evaluation at St. Luke\u2019s Institute, and returned to the ministry in 1985 at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Hastings.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s where the victim behind Tuesday\u2019s lawsuit said Father Hoefgen molested him. St. John\u2019s Abbey, St. Luke\u2019s Institute in Maryland and Father Hoefgen are named in this lawsuit in addition to the Diocese.<\/p>\n
\u201cFran is the lion, these guys are the lion tamers and they turned him loose on Hastings,\u201d said Patrick Wall, a former priest and monk. \u201cThat\u2019s the sad part, that\u2019s the greatest sadness I feel, they knew.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Archdiocese of Minneapolis and St. Paul has not yet released a statement on the lawsuit as it\u2019s under investigation.<\/p>\n