Profile Facts
- Name
- Clement J. LePine
- Role
- Priest
- Diocese
- Diocese of Marquette
- Ordained
- 1946
- Status
- Accused
- Died
- 11/19/2000
- Records
- Diocesan and public records
Decades-old accusations of clergy sexual abuse still matter, because survivors still live with what happened. The clergy sexual abuse lawyers at White Law PLLC help Michigan survivors seek justice no matter how long ago the abuse occurred.
This page summarizes the accusations against Father Clement J. LePine, a priest of the Diocese of Marquette who died in 2000. According to published records, the diocese deemed credible allegations that he abused young children in the 1960s and 1970s, and even removed his name from a parish hall. Because Father LePine is deceased, criminal prosecution is not possible, but Michigan survivors may still have civil options.
Sexual Abuse in the Diocese of Marquette
The Diocese of Marquette is one of seven dioceses in Michigan, together with the Archdiocese of Detroit and the dioceses of Saginaw, Lansing, Grand Rapids, Gaylord, and Kalamazoo. The Michigan Attorney General’s clergy abuse investigation, begun in 2018, produced an October 2022 report on the Marquette diocese that included Father LePine. A Michigan clergy sexual abuse lawyer can help survivors understand how the diocese’s own credibility findings may support a civil lawsuit.
LePine was assigned to St. Joseph’s in Ishpeming from 1957 to 1986, nearly three decades in one parish. When the diocese agrees to remove a priest’s name from a parish hall, it signals that church officials found the allegations against him credible.
The Allegations Against Father Clement J. LePine
Accusations From the 1960s and 1970s
Published records indicate that Clement J. LePine was ordained in 1946 and died on November 19, 2000. In 2005, he was accused of abusing at least two girls as young as age 5, and a boy, in the 1960s and 1970s. The diocese deemed the allegations credible and agreed to remove LePine’s name from the parish hall at St. Joseph’s in Ishpeming, where he was assigned from 1957 to 1986.
He reportedly would sit on his front porch and lure children with offers of candy, games, and toys. One victim said she reported her abuse to Catholic Social Services in 1981 or 1982; in a later meeting, she said she felt demeaned and disbelieved by a priest who described himself as a priests’ counselor. Father LePine was included in the Michigan Attorney General’s October 2022 report. These are accusations, but the diocese’s credibility determination and the documented dismissal of a victim’s report are facts that matter in civil court.
Why Credibility Findings Matter
When a diocese deems allegations credible, it has effectively acknowledged that abuse likely occurred. That acknowledgment, combined with evidence that a victim who tried to report was disbelieved, can form the backbone of a civil claim against the institution.
Criminal vs. Civil Sexual Abuse Cases
Legal action after clergy abuse generally takes one of two forms. A criminal prosecution is brought by the state, must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, and can result in imprisonment. A civil lawsuit is brought by the survivor, uses a lower burden of proof, and seeks financial compensation. With Father LePine long deceased, only the civil route remains.
Criminal Cases
Criminal prosecution is designed to punish offenders rather than compensate survivors, and it cannot be pursued after the accused has died.
Civil Lawsuits
Civil claims can be brought against a deceased abuser’s estate and against the diocese. Where the diocese found allegations credible yet failed to protect children during the priest’s lifetime, or where its representatives dismissed a victim’s report, those institutional failures can support liability.
Statute of Limitations on Clergy Sexual Abuse Cases in Michigan
Michigan’s civil filing deadline for sexual abuse claims is set by Legislature §600.5805: generally ten years from the abuse or until the survivor reaches age 28, whichever is later. First-degree criminal sexual conduct charges carry no time limit under Michigan law.
Survivors who were small children in the 1960s and 1970s often never reported at all, or reported only to be disbelieved, as one of Father LePine’s accusers described. The timeliness of a civil claim depends on specific facts, and survivors should seek an attorney’s assessment rather than assume no option exists.
View All Accused Clergy in Michigan
Pursue Justice With Help From White Law PLLC
A civil claim can seek payment for counseling and medical bills as well as damages for pain, suffering, and emotional distress. Survivors may proceed against the abuser’s estate and against the diocese or institution that knew or should have known of the abuse, failed to prevent it, concealed it, or failed in its screening, training, and supervision of clergy.
Survivors who wish to explore their options are welcome to contact White Law PLLC confidentially at (517) 316-1195.
Profiles summarize published records and allegations. Inclusion does not constitute a legal finding.