Elderly man accuses church members of sex abuse

By Krystal Paco
KUAM
August 1, 2016

http://www.kuam.com/story/32584057/2016/08/01/elderly-man-accuses-church-members-of-sex-abuse

A public hearing for a substitute version of Bill 326 turned into the tearful testimony of one alleged victim of child sex abuse by multiple members of the church. While Archbishop Anthony Apuron has had four alleged victims come forward and accuse him of molestation, three others of the Archdiocese of Agana stand accused as of today.   

Not once, but three times 73-year-old Leo Tudela alleges he fell victim to child sex abuse in the church. In support of a substitute version of Bill 326, which lifts the statute of limitations for such cases, he detailed three painful and personal memories as a young altar boy leaving his home in Saipan to live in Guam to attend Catholic school. The year was 1956.

"While I was staying at the Capuchin Fathers Monastery in Agana Heights, one night in the early morning hours, I was awakened by someone touching my private area, my penis, and massaging and masturbating me," he recalled, tearing up repeatedly. "He told me, 'It's okay. I'm Brother Mariano.' I told him to please leave me alone, but he continued to do what he was doing."

When Tudela told a member of the church, Tudela was moved to another church and introduced to Father Louis Brouillard. Brouillard invited Tudela to the Santa Terisita Church in Mangilao. Because the church sponsored the Boy Scouts, all altar boys were required to join - that's where he met his second alleged perpetrator, a high-ranking member of the church. Over six decades after the alleged incident, Tudela can only remember the man's name as "Ignacio." while on a camping trip on a Yona beach, Ignacio allegedly forced the boys to masturbate.

"He told us to take our pants down and start playing with our penis to masturbate," he said, again pausing to cry.

On a third occasion, Tudela alleges he was sleeping when he was touched by Father Louis. "I looked up and saw Father Louis sitting to my left and told me, 'It is okay. You will feel good and don't worry about anything.' I was shocked and felt very uncomfortable. I was shaking, scared, and started to cry. I was totally embarrassed and ashamed of what Father Louis was doing to me. He was supposed to be a man of God," he shared.

Tudela now resides in Hawaii. His one request to lawmakers today is to make right what the church has failed to do, saying, "For so many years the archdiocese appears to have failed to not only stop these incidents but also tolerated and perpetuated these evil acts upon young innocent boys. Be the voice of God by passing this very important legislation and make your legacy be that you took bold action to protect all citizens and a step to correct the wrongs of the past done to innocent children."

Father Louis was listed on an official list of clergy members released by the Archdiocese of Duluth with credible allegations of child sexual abuse. He was removed from ministry in 1985.