In the fall of 1989, close to 50 years after his ordination, the archdiocese received for the first time a report of abuse by Haen, which allegedly took place in 1945.
Haen was confronted about this incident in January, 1990, while he was in the hospital undergoing cancer treatment. Haen admitted the allegations and said there were no relationships of a similar sort for many years. Haen subsequently resigned as co-pastor of St. James Parish, and retired effective June 30, 1990. He moved to a retirement home with restrictions against seeing minors.
Archbishop Weakland fully restricted Haen from any ministry in May, 1995.
Haen died in 1997.
During the period from 2002 to 2009, the archdiocese received calls from five victims concerning abuse by Haen, which reportedly took place as early as 1941 and as late as 1963. These incidents include reports of abuse at St. Lawrence (1941-42); at a lake cottage (1949-51); in West Bend (1959); and at St. Francis Cabrini (‘60s).
In June and October of 2004, the archdiocese entered into two separate settlements with victims who reportedly were abused by Haen at St. Lawrence and St. Francis Cabrini for $50,000 and $70,000 respectively.
October 7, 2019 Sexual Abuse intake Report – A man reports that he was abused by Haen in 1958-59, when he was about 10-11 years old at a boathouse on Winnebago’s Western shore in North of Fond du Lac, WI.
This narrative is based on facts contained in documents related to this Diocesan priest offender.
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