APURON Accusers File Lawsuit

By John O'Connor
Guam Daily Post
July 1, 2016

http://www.postguam.com/news/local/apuron-accusers-file-lawsuit/article_5aa53b96-3f57-11e6-a1c7-6b3aff488fc4.html


While the Archdiocese of Agana, under the direction of Archbishop Anthony Apuron, indicated it would seek legal action against the archbishop's accusers, the church now finds itself the target of a lawsuit from the same individuals whose allegations it denied.

The four accusers so far – Roland Sondia, Walter Denton, Edith Doris Concepcion and Roy Quintanilla – filed a complaint for libel and slander against the archdiocese and Apuron yesterday at the Superior Court of Guam.

The complaint referenced the various statements Apuron and the archdiocese released prior to the archbishop's removal from church matters by the Vatican. Quintanilla was the first among the four to come forward with allegations of abuse in May followed shortly by Concepcion, who claimed her son, Joseph Quinata, had also been abused.

Apuron denied both allegations, and subsequent releases from the archdiocese characterized the accusations as malicious attacks to discredit the archbishop. Shortly after Concepcion came forward, a release was issued on behalf of the archdiocese stating it was "in the process of taking canonical and legal measures against those perpetrating these malicious lies."

Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai was appointed apostolic administrator on June 6, but neither Apuron nor the archdiocese have retracted the previous statements, the complaint stated.

'Defend our honor'

"We want the truth to be public and to defend our honor and integrity," Denton said during a press conference yesterday. "Instead of using church resources to reach out and help victims, they called us liars."

Denton was accompanied by Sondia and Concepcion while Sharleen Santos-Bamba represented Quintanilla, her uncle. The complaint, they said, is an attempt to have Apuron state the truth in a court of law.

The complaint alleges that Apuron and the archdiocese are aware that the sexual abuse occurred and that the incidents not only constitute a violation of the plaintiffs' rights, but a violation of the trust their parents had placed in Apuron and the archdiocese as they allowed their children to be alone with the archbishop under the impression that they would be safe.

Denton and the others also affirmed that the archdiocese had done little to reach out to them and not even Rev. Patrick Castro, the appointed contact for alleged abuse victims, has contacted them.

"No one in this archdiocese, since Hon had taken over, they had not approached us ... to this very moment," Denton said. He added that they shared sentiments with some in the community that Apuron should be laicized, or defrocked.

Denton said he did not know if more individuals would join the suit in the future but said he hoped more would come forward and state their experiences.

He also confirmed that Attorney David Lujan was representing them in the complaint. Denton said Lujan was pursuing the case free of charge to the four plaintiffs. Meanwhile, the complaint states that the plaintiffs were seeking at least $500,000 each in relief in addition to attorney's fees and other costs.