Pedophile-accused priest left Sweden - continued to work in schools

One priest, whom we call Father B, belongs to a Catholic order. Last year, his name was published on the Catholic Church's list of "credibly accused" of abuse of six children in the Gary congregation in the 1980s.

In 2004 he was allowed to leave Sweden after being accused of sexual assault on a woman with a disability in Falun.

But despite both the bishop in Gary and the Swedish bishop Anders Arborelius warning the priest's superiors in the man's words, the priest continued to work, including as a "moral science teacher".

According to a list of his employers, which the Post Tribune was the first to report on, he worked at at least three different schools in both Kenya and India after leaving Sweden.

Not until his name was published in the United States last year was it announced that he is retired as of September 2018.

SVT News has tried to reach the priest's superior in his Catholic words, but has not received any answers, either by e-mail or by telephone. When we call and present ourselves someone hangs up.

But SVT's reporter managed to reach Father B on a bad reception on his cellphone. When asked what really happened in Falun, the priest answers:

- Nothing happened in Falun.

But you had to leave Falun?

- I was in Africa.

Before that, were you in Sweden?

- Yeah, I met a woman, yeah.

Did you touch her in an inappropriate way?

- Can I get you?

Me?

- Yes, you, you, you!

My name is Marja Grill, I am a reporter from SVT, investigating allegations of sexual abuse ...

- Do you want sex?

What did you say?

- Do you want sex?

When SVT tells about the call to Cardinal Anders Arborelius, he reacts strongly.

I talked to him yesterday. That conversation ended with him asking if I wanted to have sex with him. So I'm thinking: Is this someone you feel safe sending back to schools in other countries?

- No, it was really terrible. Then I understand that there is a huge accusation against him.

The second priest who was in Sweden, whom we call Father M, was ordained a priest in Oslo in 1980, and moved to the United States during the 1990s. There, his name was published last October on a list of "credibly accused" of sexual abuse of a child in San Bernardino, California.

But the charges were not known to the Catholic Church in Sweden when the priest moved here in 2003.

- No, we had not received any information that he was guilty of anything, says Anders Arborelius.

When he was again accused of sexual assault, this time against a man in the Malmö congregation in 2004, Bishop Anders Arborelius asked the priest to leave and contacted his home diocese, Oslo.

But the man was already known by the diocese in Oslo. During the 1990s, he had been investigated for assault against a 14-year-old in Norway.

When the priest was sent home from Sweden in 2004, another Norwegian case became known. This time it was about a 19-year-old who was exposed.

- We took this seriously, started an investigation and the priest received no new church assignment.

The investigation showed that there were justified allegations, but the limitation period had expired, says Bishop Bernt I. Eidsvig in Oslo Catholic Bishopric to SVT today.

The priest left Norway and the last diocese heard from him was that he asked for a letter of recommendation in 2005, but it was rejected.

Do you think you have done everything you have been able to do?

- No. It is clear that a person we know has committed two abuses has probably done more and is a danger to his surroundings and should never be a priest again.

Bishop Bernt I. Eidsvig does not believe that the man is active as a priest, because he has no recommendation to show up in the event of an appointment.

- He has changed his name at least once and is difficult to find.