Church hit with 2 more sex abuse suits

Total rises to 25; 13 name retired priest Harold Robert White

David Montero, Rocky Mountain News

Tuesday, December 6, 2005

Two more lawsuits involving allegations of sex abuse by a former priest are hitting the Archdiocese of Denver, bringing the total against Harold Robert White to 13.

The lawsuits, announced Monday by attorneys for the two men, are the 24th and 25th filed against the Catholic Church in Colorado. One of the new lawsuits involves John Koldeway, the older brother of Tom Koldeway. Both brothers accuse White of molesting them in the 1960s and early 1970s. Tom Koldeway filed his lawsuit in August.

Koldeway's mother and father - along with a cousin - gathered Monday in a downtown Denver law office to talk about their anger toward the church and how the alleged abuses damaged their family and faith.

"The bitterness stays and stays and stays," said Arthur Koldeway, the boys' father.

Both parents said they struggle with blaming themselves for not seeing the signs that their sons were being sexually abused by White - a priest they described as a family friend who often visited their house for dinners and social events.

The Koldeways attended St. John the Evangelist Church in Loveland in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The family alleges that White abused the boys then.

White, who is in his 70s and currently lives in the metro area, was ordained in 1960. He left the priesthood last year.

Archdiocese of Denver spokeswoman Jeanette DeMelo said the church doesn't comment on specific cases, but she said the Catholic Church takes all allegations of sexual abuse seriously.

Not seriously enough for the Koldeways, however.

Arthur Koldeway said it was inconceivable that there was a statute of limitations on filing criminal sex abuse charges against White. He said White should have to be registered as a sex offender.

However, Denver district attorney spokeswoman Lynn Kimbrough said most child sex abuse cases have a 10-year statute of limitations on them from the day the crime was committed. There is legislation, however, that is expected to be introduced next year that would seek to extend the statute of limitations on child sex abuse crimes.

The Koldeway parents tearfully said their faith had been "shaken to the core," but both said they still attend Mass.

"I have to disconnect the church from God," Agnes Koldeway said. "It's hard to do."

The one-hour meeting with the press was organized by Jeb Barrett, leader of the Denver chapter of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. He sat with the Koldeway family and said they had "put the safety of others over their own comfort."

Barrett said he was angry that the archdiocese transferred White to 11 different parishes over the course of more than three decades, and Agnes Koldeway criticized several bishops - alleging that they put their careers before the safety of children.

Neither John nor Tom Koldeway attended Monday's meeting.

The second new lawsuit to be filed in Denver District Court is from a John Doe who alleged he was victimized by White in 1961 while attending St. Catherine's Parish in Denver. Barrett read a brief statement on the plaintiff's behalf that urged the church to acknowledge its culpability.

Tom Roberts, the attorney handling the cases, said there will be a motions hearing Friday in federal court in response to the Archdiocese of Denver's desire to have the civil cases heard in federal court.

Roberts said his clients want the cases transferred back to district court. A hearing on that matter is set for February.

monterod@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-892-5236