Thursday, May 25, 2017

'The Keepers' Revelations 20 years later of sexual abuse at Catholic high school

THE KEEPERS on NET-FLIX (Season 1 Episode 3). Jean Hargadon was just shown the dead body of Sister Cathy Cesnik. Father Joseph Maskell brought Jean to the body. He did it for one reason and that was to keep her quiet. It worked as the abuse continued against Jean at the high school. She stored it away for 20 years until 1992. Journalist Tom Nugent wrote his 6,000 word article in 1994 on Cathy’s death. 

Jean met Mike Wehner, they married and had two kids. She called her family life a spiritual journey by 1992. She didn’t go to any of the reunions at Archbishop-Keough high school. She wanted nothing to do with the bad memories. A former classmate persuaded her to think about attending one year. The rape and abuse came back like a rage.

Jean’s main abusers were Neil Magnus and Chaplain Joseph Maskell. Neil died in 1988 and Joseph was still alive in 1992. Jean was told by a modern priest that Maskell was smart against former students who made accusations. The latest Archdiocese told Jean to get a lawyer as they tried to remove Maskell. Jean couldn’t talk about her abuse. She wrote it down and read it to her lawyers. (She broke down crying as she read one page in front of the camera. Her pent up emotions were completely raw.). 

What happened to Father Joseph Maskell in 1992? Was he finally removed from his position as a priest? 

Click photo of THE KEEPERS at NETFLIX to sign up.
https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/136664
(Netflix Publicity 2017)

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