News 7 Belize
May 29, 2009
http://www.7newsbelize.com/sstory.php?nid=14104
A Roman Catholic Priest serving in Belize for fourteen years is in big trouble tonight following reports that Fr. Kevin Hederman, a pastor at Our Lady of Guadalupe Roman Catholic Co-Cathedral in Belmopan is facing a civil suit in the United States. It involves an alleged sexual assault against a seventeen year old boy which is alleged to have occurred in the early 1990's.
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The story first appeared in the St. Louis Post Dispatch on Wednesday stating that Hederman invited the teenager to his residence at the North American Martyrs Church in Florissant to Minister to the teenager's "spiritual, psychological and emotional needs." The paper reports that during one visit to Hederman's residence, the priest instructed the teenager "to lie prone on the floor and then Fr. Hederman engaged in inappropriate and unwanted sexual contact with the plaintiff," according to the lawsuit.
According to today's Amandala, when they contacted Fr. Herderman he confirmed the lawsuit and according to the newspaper article Fr. Hederman said that there is no truth to the allegations and he will fight the suit and we quote "with very ounce of blood I've got." 7News tried several times to get in touch with Fr. Kevin Herderman but our attempts were unsuccessful. He did comment to the Amandala that because the matter is under litigation he could only offer limited comment. Fr. Hederman further stated that he found out about the civil suit on Thursday.
He reportedly told the Amandala that he will be flying up to the U.S. to meet with his attorney to find out the circumstances of what he faces and then he will be in a position to speak freely to the local press.
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