Community Corner
Priest Suspected of Child Abuse Worked in Greendale: Church Records
James Arimond was associate pastor at St. Alphonsus Parish from 1969 until 1979 and was later convicted of fourth degree sexual assault.
A priest whose name appears on a list of priests removed or restricted from ministry because of substianted allegations of sexual abuse of minors worked in Greendale in the 1970s, according to records released Monday.
The release, partly motivated by the archdiocese's Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings, includes about 6,000 pages of documents — from personnel files of priests accused of sexual abuse to depositions of high-ranking archdiocese officials, including former archbishop Timothy Dolan.
Among the names listed is James Arimond, who was associate pastor at St. Alphonsus Parish from 1969 until 1979.
The documents were selected by the abuse survivor attorneys, archdiocese chief of staff Jerry Topczewski told Patch. Though the records were released as part of a bankruptcy agreement, Topczewski stressed that releasing the files can be part of the healing process for abuse survivors.
"Ultimately, we want them to know that the church loves them," Topczewski said. "And the church owes them a debt of gratitude for having the courage to come forward."
But according to press releases from SNAP Wisconsin, the local arm of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, the documents have some major implications for the archdiocese.
In one press release, SNAP Wisconsin Director John Pilmaier suggests that archdiocese officials were involved in a “criminal conspiracy” with the practice of re-assigning known offenders to churches and schools after they underwent treatment for pedophilia.
According to the press release, a group of experts with the American Psychological Association compared the practice to “giving an alcoholic a job in a bar.”
Here is what the records have to say about the priest assigned to a local church:
James Arimond
Arimond was associate pastor at St. Alphonsus Parish from 1969 until 1979. Some alleged survivors of Arimond's abuse at St. Alphonsus came forward in 2002.In 1990, Arimond came under investigation by police for sexual abuse. He was formally charged by the Milwaukee County district attorney and later convicted of fourth degree sexual assault.
His timeline details numerous other accusations of sexual abuse.
Allegations Treated Differently Now
According to Topczewski, "no priest today can serve in ministry if there's a substantiated allegation of sex abuse."He told Patch that allegations are immediately reported to the police. If the district attorney determines that an allegation cannot be prosecuted, he said the church conducts its own investigation, headed by an independent review board and often facilitated by retired Milwaukee police detectives.
The complete documents can be viewed at the Jeff Anderson & Associates website.
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