Sex Abuse Accusers File Suit against Apuron for Slander, Libel

By Haidee V Eugenio
Pacific Daily News
July 1, 2016

http://www.guampdn.com/story/news/2016/06/30/sex-abuse-accusers-file-suit-against-apuron-slander-libel-guam/86582232/

From left, Sharleen Santos-Bamba, representing her uncle, Roy Quintanilla; Roland Sondia; Walter Denton; and Doris Concepcion, who says her late son, Joseph Quinata was a clergy abuse victim, announce a lawsuit against Archbishop Anthony Apuron at the Haga?tn?a Law Library on July 1. The libel and slander lawsuit also names the Archdiocese of Agana and 50 other individuals.

Four people who publicly accused Archbishop Anthony Apuron of sexually abusing altar boys in Agat in the 1970s filed a lawsuit against the archbishop Friday, at the Superior Court of Guam.

In the lawsuit, they are accusing the archbishop of libel and slander. The filing took place at 11:43 a.m.

The plaintiffs in the suit are Doris Concepcion, Roy T. Quintanilla, Walter G. Denton and Roland Paul L. Sondia. Their attorney is David Lujan.

The filing was announced Friday, during a press conference at the Guam Law Library near the court.

Slander is a false or malicious claim that may harm someone's reputation. Libel is a defamatory statement made in the form of print or broadcast.

Quintanilla, Denton and Sondia are former altar boys who said Apuron molested them during sleepovers at the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church rectory in Agat in the 1970s. Denton said Apuron raped him.

Doris Concepcion is the mother of former altar boy Joseph Anthony “Sonny” Quinata who, before his death 11 years ago, confided to her that Apuron molested him in the 1970s, she said.

Apuron remains off island as of Friday, nearly a month after the Vatican temporarily stripped him of his administrative authority over the Archdiocese of Agana when individuals started coming forward accusing him of molestation.

Prior to the filing of the slander lawsuit, Lujan wrote letters to the local church’s sexual abuse response coordinator Deacon Larry Claros and later on to temporary apostolic administrator Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai, pressing the local Catholic Church for answers related to its ability to conduct an impartial investigation into multiple child molestation allegations against Apuron.

Lujan did not receive a response to his letters from any representative of the Archdiocese of Agana.

When Lujan’s first two clients came forward accusing Apuron of sex abuse, Apuron and his representatives threatened to sue individuals they said were spreading malicious and calumnious lies.

Lujan did not receive a response to his letters from any representative of the Archdiocese of Agana.

When Lujan’s first two clients came forward accusing Apuron of sex abuse, Apuron and his representatives threatened to sue individuals they said were spreading malicious and calumnious lies.