Church apologizes to new Apuron, Brouillard accusers

By Haidee V Eugenio
Pacific Daily News
November 21, 2016

http://www.guampdn.com/story/news/2016/11/21/church-apologizes-new-priest-accusers/94183018/

The Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral Basilica in Hagatna.

The Catholic Church apologized and offers prayers to all victims of priest sex abuse after another batch of lawsuits, filed Thursday, by two former altar boys and the estate of a deceased former altar boy against Archbishop Anthony S. Apuron and former Guam priest Louis Brouillard.

The world’s largest network of clergy abuse survivors said the former altar boys are enormously brave by coming forward publicly to say they were abused by a priest.

“By doing this one simple thing, they are making it easier and safer for other victims to come forward and talk about abuse. They are making it easier for witnesses and whistleblowers to come forward and tell what they know. They are also telling children who are being abused right now that it is safe to report abuse and get help,” said Joelle Casteix, volunteer western regional director for the Illinois-based Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, or SNAP.

Vicente Guerrero Perez, 51, and Bruce A. Diaz, 47, in their separate complaints, said Brouillard sexually abused them between 1976 and 1980, when they served as altar boys and as members of the Boy Scouts of America.

The estate of the late Joseph “Sonny” Quinata, through administrator Mary Jane Quinata Cruz, said in a separate complaint that Apuron sexually abused Quinata when he was an altar boy at the age of 8 or 9, in Agat, in the 1970s.

The three are represented by Attorney David Lujan, of the law firm Lujan and Wolff. Named defendants are Apuron, Brouillard, the Archdiocese of Agana and as many as 50 others who may have helped, abetted, concealed or covered up the sexual abuses by priests.

“With Father Louis Brouillard, a priest who served on Guam beginning in the 1950s having confessed last October to abusing altar boys on Guam decades ago, we convey our deepest apologies to Mr. Vicente Perez and Mr. Bruce Diaz for the pain they have suffered,” the Archdiocese of Agana said in a statement on Friday. “No words can truly ease the suffering victims of abuse have experienced.”

The archdiocese said it also conveys prayers to the late Quinata and his family, who came forward in the past with allegations of abuse against Apuron while he was still a parish priest.

Apuron is now facing a canonical trial at the Vatican over multiple sex abuse allegations by former altar boys. Pope Francis has already named Coadjutor Archbishop Michael Jude Byrnes as successor to Apuron, 71. Byrnes, from Detroit, is scheduled to arrive Nov. 28.

Apuron and Brouillard have not been charged with any crime. Apuron has denied the allegations, while Brouillard has admitted to sexually abusing at least 20 boys during the time he was here, from the late 1940s to 1981.

Casteix, of SNAP, said victims don’t come forward because they want to fight.

“They don’t want to hurt the archdiocese or its mission. They only want healing, truth, transparency, and accountability. We hope that incoming Coadjutor Archbishop of Guam Michael Byrnes has the same goals,” Casteix added.

The archdiocese on Friday reiterated that it takes very seriously the matter of sexual abuse by clergy.

“The church on Guam has a duty and desire to render pastoral care to all of its faithful, most especially those who have been severely wounded by those holding trusted positions in our archdiocese. We are strengthening our work in this area and pledge to provide a safe environment for all children and all people entrusted in our care,” the archdiocese stated.

The archdiocese in September formed the Task Force for the Protection of Minors. Since October, the task force has been visiting each Catholic school, conducting staff and faculty training about the prevention of sexual abuse.

The archdiocese said a new Victims Support Group has also been meeting regularly to develop even more comprehensive outreach, support and counseling for all victims who come forward.

The archdiocese’s sexual abuse response coordinator, Deacon Leonard Stohr, also continues to reach out to victims and people alleging abuse. His contact number is 671-727 7373.

Seven individual lawsuits have already been filed during the two months since the Sept. 23 signing of a Guam law lifting the civil statute of limitations for those accused of abusing children, as well as the institutions that supported them.

Lujan, the counsel for all the seven lawsuits filed against priests and the archdiocese, said more lawsuits will be filed in the weeks ahead, but the other defendants include non-church entities.

The plaintiffs are seeking an unspecified amount of damages for child sexual abuse, negligence, negligent supervision, negligent hiring and retention, and breach of fiduciary duty/confidential relationship. They each demand a trial, with six jurors.