Woman burns book by priest, says he assaulted her in 1977

Jul 31, 2019

|Associated Press

Woman burns book by priest, says he assaulted her in 1977 — Jeanne Hunton, who says she was sexually assaulted by a priest in 1977, speaks outside the archdiocese headquarters in Detroit, Tuesday, July 30, 2019. Hunton says she’s starting a local chapter of SNAP, which stands for Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. Hunton says she was 14 years old when she was assaulted by a priest during a summer job at Assumption Grotto church in Detroit. (Credit: Paul Sancya/AP.)

DETROIT — A woman who says she was sexually assaulted by a priest in 1977 burned his book outside the archdiocese headquarters in downtown Detroit.

Jeanne Hunton says she’s starting a local chapter of SNAP, which stands for Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. Hunton says she was 14 years old when she was assaulted by a priest during a summer job at Assumption Grotto church in Detroit.

The 57-year-old Hunton said Tuesday it’s too late to pursue criminal charges. But she wants to get the word out in case there are other victims.

Hunton says the priest is in his 90s. She told state police that she confronted him in 2010 and he claimed to have no recollection. The Associated Press isn’t identifying the priest because he hasn’t been charged.

The Detroit Archdiocese says it hadn’t received any prior allegations. The archdiocese urges anyone with knowledge of abuse by clergy to contact police or the attorney general’s office.

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