Jury rules in favor of St. Louis archdiocese, priest

TROY, Mo. — An eastern Missouri jury has sided with a Roman Catholic priest and the Archdiocese of St. Louis in a lawsuit over alleged molestation.

The Lincoln County jury ruled Thursday in favor of the Rev. Xiu Hui “Joseph” Jiang and rejected claims the archdiocese should have known the priest was a danger to children and failed to protect the alleged victim.

The lawsuit alleged the girl was a teenager when she was fondled five years ago at her home in Old Monroe, Missouri, 40 miles northwest of St. Louis.

Jiang was criminally charged in 2012, but those charges eventually were dismissed.

The archdiocese said in a statement it and Jiang have “steadfastly” denied the allegations, and he will enter a process for the return to active ministry.