Another Lawsuit for the Catholic Church

News 4 KXLY/May 9, 2003

A Spokane man is suing the Spokane Catholic Diocese and a former Priest. The victim is hoping his lawsuit will create a change within the hierarchy of the Catholic Church, and in state laws. Mike Shea says Father Reinard Beaver molested him when he was about 15-years old.

It happened on a trip to Seattle, when Beaver asked for Shea's help as an altar boy. Shea never told anyone, until the last year. Shea says he waited to file the lawsuit to see if legislators would change the laws for the statute of limitations. Since the laws remain the same, he says he must file the lawsuit to bring awareness to the cover up within the Catholic Church.

The Diocese removed Beaver from ministry in 1983 after other accusations of child sex abuse. Those cases were settled out of court.