MINNESOTA'S MOST WATCHED
STATION, THIS IS WCCO 4 NEWS.
A TWIN CITIES WOMAN TELLS
IT THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE
SCANDAL.
THEY TALK ABOUT YOUNG BOYS
AND MINORS, THEY DON'T LIKE TO
TALK ABOUT WOMEN.
GEENY HANSON SAID A PRIEST
BEAT AND RAPED HER WHEN SHE WENT
TO CHURCH.
MAN.
BUT HE HAS NEVER BEEN ACCUSED OF
DOING ANY WRONG.
SHE REMEMBERS WHAT HAPPENED
DECADES ACT AGO THAT SHE HOPES
WILL PROPEL OTHERS TO COME
FORWARD.
I LOOKED TO THE CHURCH WHEN
NEEDED HELP.
Reporter:
SUNDAY MASS STARTED THE NEW WEEK
FOR JEANIE
HANSON.
SHE WENT TO A SIMILAR SETTING IN
COLLEGE.
SHE HAD A CAREER IN RELIGIOUS
ADMINISTRATION.
SHE MET THE CHAPLAIN OF THE
COLLEGE IN HER SECOND YEAR.
YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND SHE
IS ONE OF THE ONLY MEN IN THE
CAMPUS AND GIRLS WOULD HANG ON
HER WORD.
SHE NOTICED FATHER WOULD
ENJOY HER COMPANY.
NOW I LOOK AT HE IS KIND OF
GROOMING ME AND GIVING ME
ATTENTION.
AND NOBODY THOUGHT ANYTHING
ABOUT GOING TO HIS HOUSE.
IT'S WHY HER JUNIOR YEAR
WHEN SHE WAS 20 YEARS OLD HE
STOPPED BY.
SHE REMEMBERS HAVING TROUBLE
WITH HER BOYFRIEND.
HE TOLD HER SHE STRUGGLED
RECEIVING MALE AFFECTION AS HE
STARTED KISSING HER.
I KNEW IT WASN'T RIGHT.
HE SHOULDN'T BE DOING THAT.
AFTER HE LEFT, SHE HAD A
SLICE IN HER MEMORY.
IT WASN'T UNTIL 25 YEARS LATER
WHEN THE NEWS SURFACED UNTIL THE
SEX ACCUSE SCANDALED, WHEN SHE
STARTED PUTTING TOGETHER THE
PIECES.
HE TOOK ME UP THE STEPS.
SHE SAYS HE BEAT, CHOKE AND
SEXUAL ASSAULTED HER.
HE TOLD ME IF I DIDN'T DO
WHAT HE WANTED ME TO DO THAT HE
WOULD I WOULD NEVER SEE MY
FAMILY AGAIN.
ADULTS WOULD SURPASS THOSE
THAT HAVE BEEN ABUSED A
CHILDREN.
HE HAS SPOKE OUT FOR THOSE
ABUSED AND THOSE ABUSED BY
PRIESTS, NONAS SNAP.
-- KNOWN AS SNAP.
HE PUT TOGETHER A LIST OF 336
NAMES OF ALLEGED ABUSERS
PUBLISHED IN COURT DOCUMENTS OR
NEWS REPORTS, NOT ONLY CATHOLIC
PRIESTS BUT ANYONE WHO USED
RELIGION TO MAKE CONTACT WITH
VICTIMS.
IF THE ADULT SURVIVORS WOULD
STEP FORWARD, THE NUMBERS WOULD
SHOCK PEOPLE.
IT'S VERY COMMON AND THERE
IS A REAL PROBLEM THAT HASN'T
BEEN K POSED YET -- BEEN EXPOSED
YET.
MIKE FIN BEGAN IS AN
ATTORNEY.
JEFR ANDERSON AND ASSOCIATES
REPRESENTS ABOUT 350 PEOPLE WHO
SAY THEY WERE ABUSED AS MINORS
AS CLERGY MEMBERS AND FIVE THAT
SAY THEY WERE ABUSED AS ADULTS.
HE IS CONVINCED THAT WOULD GROW
IF THE LAW WOULD READ
DIFFERENTLY.
WE ARE AT THE BEGINNING OF
THE STAGES OF THIS.
THEY GAVE SEX ABUSE VICTIMS
A LIMIT.
BUT IT TICKS FROM WHEN IT
HAPPENED.
IT IS SIX YEARS TO TAKE ACTION
CASE.
THEY NOW WANT ADULTS TO GET MORE
TIME TO FINALLY COME FORWARD.
I NEVER WANTED TO PUNISH THE
CHURCH.
I JUST WANTED HELP TO HEAL.
AFTER FINALLY SHARING HER
STORY, IN 2002 THEY PAID FOR A
FEW YEARS OF HER THERAPY, BUT
THEY SAID WAS TAKING TOO LONG TO
HEAL, SO SHE HAS BEEN PAYING
EVER SINCE.
I FELT LIKE I WAS BEING
RAPED AGAIN BY HOW AWFUL THEY
TREATED ME.
THE SAME YEAR FATHER JOHN
DIED, DESPITE HOLDING IT FOR SO
LONG SHE HAS LIVED A HAPPY LIFE
WITH A SUPPORTIVE FAMILY AND NOW
HOPES OTHERS DO.
MAYBE IF I SAID SOMETHING
OTHER WOMEN WOULD HAVE THE
COURAGE.
WHICH SHE COULDN'T FOR
DECADES.
LIZ COLLINS.
SINCE THE LAW PASSED, 350
PEOPLE CAME FORWARD TO MAKE
CLAIMS OF CHILD ABUSE, 500 WERE
AGAINST CATHOLIC CLERGY.
THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO NAME PRIESTS
WHO ABUSED ADULTS, ONLY
CHILDREN.