Accountability for Archdiocese is Closer

By Michael Finnegan

Yesterday, the Honorable Judge Timothy Witkowiak, a circuit court judge in Milwaukee, denied the Archdiocese of Milwaukee’s attempt to have a sexual abuse case thrown out on the time limits. James (Jim) Essenberg filed the case in June of 2008 alleging that the Archdiocese of Milwaukee defrauded him. The decision yesterday was a huge victory for Jim and for all those people that were sexually abused in Wisconsin by trusted authority figures.

Essenberg only learned of the Archdiocese’s fraud because of the settlement of a case in California where the Archdiocese was forced to turn over documents about the perpetrator, Franklyn Becker. Those documents contained numerous reports of abuse, admissions by Becker of sexually molesting kids, and Becker being diagnosed as a pedophile.

What is truly frightening is that Franklyn Becker is still in the Milwaukee community with access to children. Some of the documents and news reports about Becker are located at Jeff Anderson and Associates - http://www.andersonadvocates.com/CaseListing.aspx?ID=2, at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel pages - http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/29488339.html, and on Bishop Accountability - http://bishop-accountability.org/priestdb/PriestDBbylastName-B.html.

Jim Essenberg is a champion for children. He is a courageous man that stood up and spoke out about his abuse. His courage means that many terrible secrets about authority figures sexually abusing children will see the light of day. I encourage anyone that was harmed like Jim was to speak out in your own way. This does not mean filing a lawsuit or putting your name in the paper. Just telling a close friend, talking to a therapist, putting the horrors down on paper, can all help ease some of the pain you are carrying.