St. Cloud Diocese Settles Lawsuit on Priest Abuse

Associated Press/September 25, 2003

The Diocese of St. Cloud has agreed to pay $500,000 to settle a lawsuit by a woman who says she was sexually abused by a priest.

In the lawsuit, the woman accused Donald Rieder of abusing her in the early 1990's while she was a parishioner at St. John Cantius Church in St. Cloud.

Rieder pleaded guilty in April to criminal sexual conduct and was sentenced to a year in jail. His priestly duties were removed. The woman accused the diocese of knowing for years about Rieder's abuse, but failing to protect parishioners from him.

Her attorney, Jeff Anderson, says the settlement is the first time the St. Cloud Diocese has done anything to help in the healing of a clergy abuse victim.

The diocese had no comment on the settlement.