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  Complaint for Damages: John Doe 31 V. the Roman Catholic Bishop of Stockton

San Joaquin County Superior Court
October 27, 2010

http://www.bishop-accountability.org/complaints/2010_10_27_John_Doe_31_v_Stockton_OGrady.pdf

[The complaint cites the Vatican document Crimen sollicitationis.]

Plaintiff John Doe 31 is a natural person who was a resident of the State of California, at all relevant times mentioned herein. Plaintiff was a minor at the time of the sexual abuse alleged herein occurring in approximately 1991-1992. Plaintiff is under the age of 26 at the time of the filing of this action.

. . .

Oliver O’Grady was an adult male who was an ordained priest and worked within Defendant Diocese. At all times material hereto, Father O'Grady was under the direct supervision, employ and control of Defendant Diocese, including the Bishop listed below, from 1971 to 1993. Father O'Grady physically perpetrated acts of sexual abuse upon the Plaintiff when Plaintiff was a minor.

. . .

While religious belief is absolutely protected, conduct is not protected and the actions below herein alleged were illegal secular motivated conduct that is regulated by the law. In 1962, the Vatican in Rome issued a Papal Instruction binding upon all Bishops throughout the world including the Bishop of Stockton. The instruction was binding upon the Bishop of Stockton until 2001. The instruction directed that allegations and reports of sexual abuse of children by priests were required to be kept secret and not disclosed either to civil authorities such as law enforcement, to co-employees or superiors of parish priests, or to parishioners generally. Canon law requires Bishops to keep sub secreto files also known as confidential files. These files are not to be made public. Because of problems of sexual misconduct of Catholic clergy, the Catholic Church and other organizations sponsored treatment centers for priests that had been involved in sexual misconduct.

 
 

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