Sexual Assault Victim Warns Locals about Defrocked Priest

58 News
May 6, 2012

www.cbs58.com/news/local-news/Sexual-assault-victim-warns-locals-about-defrocked-priest-150366395.html

[with video]

A defrocked priest convicted of molesting a child is getting out of prison after serving less than a quarter of his sentence. Tonight, the victim is warning local parishioners about it.

"He sexually abused me over the course of two months," says David Schauer.

About eight years ago, David watched as a judge sentence the man who inappropriately touched him when he was ten. He never thought ex-priest Donald Buzanowski would get out of prison so soon. "I was devastated. It's frustrating."

The abuse happened in Green Bay in the late 80's. Members of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, says Buzanowski was removed from the Green Bay Diocese and came to St. Pius Parish in Wauwatosa in the early 90's. They say he work with young boys.

"The fact that he still stayed in the Greater Milwaukee and Green Bay Area for ten years. Those people don't just change their ways. Those people continue with those patterns," says David's wife, Veronica Schauer.

SNAP, David and Veronica handed out flyers to St. Pius X parishioners to warn them about Buzanowski.

It's scary. It just goes to show that you have to watch your kids. I'm a parent. I want to know where my kids are and who they are working with," says parishioner, Kevin Michael.

According to SANP, the defense and prosecution made a deal to release Buzanowski because of a legal technicality dealing with the date of the crime. The agreement prevents the defrocked priest from appealing and keeps his convictions on record.

David says anyone who was assaulted after July of 1989 needs to speak up. He also says he spoke with Buzanowski on Friday and the former clergyman says he still feels that he is a risk. "It's my firm belief that he is going to continue abusing boys unless somebody else is willing to come forward and prosecute him and put him back in prison where he belongs," says David.

SNAP says Buzanowski will be on probation for 8 years, live in a supervised home and stay on the sex offenders registry. CBS 58 reached out to both the Green Bay Diocese and the Archdiocese of Milwaukee for comment., but have yet to hear back.