The Diocese of Davenport Review Board has recommended the addition of one deceased lay man to the list of credible allegations of abuse posted on the diocesan website, www.davenportdiocese.org. The case of abuse was reported during the diocese’s bankruptcy process.
The Review Board recommended to Bishop Martin Amos that a report of abuse of a male minor by lay man Walter Phipps was credible. Phipps was a football coach at Our Lady of Lourdes School in Bettendorf between 1973 and 1975. He was arrested in 1987 in an unrelated case, convicted of third-degree sexual abuse and sentenced to 10 years in prison. Phipps died May 16, 2010.
Before credibility is determined in a report of abuse perpetrated by a different lay man, the Review Board recommended that additional investigation be performed by James Sweeney. He is an independent investigator who was appointed by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Iowa to investigate abuse claims during the bankruptcy process.
To report child sexual abuse, contact the Iowa Department of Human Services Child Abuse Hotline: (800) 362-2178. If the abuse involves clergy or church personnel, also notify Alicia Owens, victim assistance coordinator: (563) 349-5002, P.O. Box 232 Bettendorf, IA 52722-0004, or email her at vacdav@attglobal.net.
