New lawsuits filed against Catholic priests over sex abuse claims

PHOENIX - Two new lawsuits have been filed against Catholic priests who are accused of abuse decades ago.

One of the suspects, identified as 71-year-old Joseph Henn, is at the 4th Avenue Jail, accused of abuse that happened between 1979 and 1981.

Back in 2003, Henn was indicted on 14 counts and then fled to Italy. He was brought back to Phoenix in 2019, and more victims came forward.

Now, a Grand Jury has indicted Henn, again, on 18 more counts of child sex abuse. The victims say they were all students at Phoenix's St. Mark's Catholic School.

"Bishop [Thomas] O'Brien transferred pedophile priests throughout the diocese," said attorney Robert Pastor. "Parish to parish. School to school."

Pastor represents Mike Borst, who filed his lawsuit in 2016, naming Dennis Pecore as his abuser. Pecore is a convicted child predator who spent several years in a Wisconsin prison.

Pastor claims the diocese used St. Marks as a dumping ground to sweep pedophile priests under the rug.

"We deposed Bishop [Thomas] Olmstead, and we asked him 'have you identified who those pedophile priests are?'" said Pastor. "His answer was 'no.'"

Robert Pastor

After suffering in silence and shame for decades, Borst revealed his identity for the first time on Tuesday.

"I have put one foot on the other side of victory. I am proud to be here today. I'm proud to stand with the rest of the victims and survivors," said Borst.

Thanks to a new Arizona law that gives all sex abuse victim until December 31, 2020 to sue their abusers, no matter how long ago the alleged abuse happened, hundreds of people are expected to come forward in 2020.

"To all those victims: you're not alone," said Borst. "To you, Bishop Olmstead: this needs to stop. You need to disclose all the information you have on these vile, sick people."

Mike Borst

Officials with the Catholic Diocese of Phoenix released a statement that reads:

"The Diocese of Phoenix is disheartened by any allegation of clergy abuse, and stands with all those who grieve and suffer because of the abuse caused by clergy. The abuse of any child is a crime and a sin, and we continue to pray for the healing of survivors and their families, and to work for truth and justice.

We are reviewing the information released today at the press conference. Information about Pecore and Henn, two former Salvatorian priests, may be found here: https://dphx.org/youth-protection/community-notification-statements.

The Diocese of Phoenix has not been served or had the opportunity to review the allegations against two of the Salvatorian priests — Fr. Donald R. Verhagen and Fr. James Bretl, both deceased — identified today during the press conference, so we cannot comment directly on the claims, but can confirm that no prior allegations against either has ever been brought to the Diocese of Phoenix. Our understanding is that the claims made in today’s press conference relate to cases that date back to the late 1970s or early 1980s.

The Diocese of Phoenix is committed to providing a safe environment where it values and honors every individual as created in the image and likeness of God. Great efforts have been made to put systems into place to keep our young people safe, and we will continue to work in close cooperation with law enforcement to uphold the principles of accountability and justice.

We encourage anyone who has been a victim of abuse to contact local law enforcement. For additional information about support services for those who have been abused, please contact the Office of Child and Youth Protection at (602) 354-2396.

Bringing to light this dark period in our history is important so that we can protect the vulnerable, bring healing to the wounded, and keep people safe and focused on Jesus Christ."