2 New Sex Abuse Lawsuits Filed against Former Priests

By Haidee V Eugenio
Pacific Daily News
November 23, 2016

http://www.guampdn.com/story/news/2016/11/23/2-new-sex-abuse-lawsuits-filed-against-former-priests/94325148/

Two new child sex abuse lawsuits, filed Wednesday afternoon, allege that deceased Catholic priest Antonio C. Cruz and former priest Louis Brouillard separately molested two former altar boys in the 1960s and 1970s.

Brouillard, the Archdiocese of Agana and as many as 50 other defendants are named in the latest batch of lawsuits, filed by attorney David Lujan, of the law firm Lujan & Wolff. Cruz, who died in 1986 at the age of 62, is not named as a defendant.

There are now a total of nine lawsuits filed against the church and clergy since a law was signed Sept. 23, lifting the civil statute of limitations for those accused of abusing children, as well as the institutions that supported them.

Paul Joseph Borja, now 63, alleges that Cruz sexually molested him at the Our Lady of Peace and Safe Journey Catholic Church in Chalan Pago when he was about 12, around the year 1965.

Borja, a resident of Chalan Pago, alleges that Cruz tried to buy his silence with $50 about three years later, or around 1968, when they met in California.

Vicente T. San Nicolas, now 59, alleges that Brouillard repeatedly sexually molested and abused him from around 1970 to 1975 while he was an altar boy at the San Isidro Catholic Church of Malojloj and while he was a member of the Boy Scouts of America.

At the time, it was called the Malojloj Parish, when San Nicolas was 13 to 18 years old.

San Nicolas, of Dededo, said from 1970 to 1975, Brouillard sought and obtained his parents’ permission to have him spend the night at the Carmelite Monastery Convent in Malojloj, where Brouillard resided at the time. This gave Brouillard access to San Nicolas, the former altar boy said.

While at the convent, San Nicolas said he was subjected to Brouillard’s presence, walking around completely naked.

According to the complaint, Brouillard allegedly showed San Nicolas numerous nude photos of minor boys, taken by Brouillard.

Attorney Lujan has said, based on interviews with accusers, Brouillard took more than 50 photos of naked boys.

Brouillard, now 95 and living in Minnesota, has repeatedly admitted to sexually abusing at least 20 minors on Guam. Brouillard was ordained a priest on Guam in 1948 and stayed on island until 1981. Brouillard said other priests, including Bishop Apollinaris Baumgartner, knew of his activities at the time but only asked him to say prayers as penance.

Another altar boy

The complaint states San Nicolas believes Brouillard also sexually molested and abused his now-deceased brother, although they never spoke of it.

“Several times, while Vicente and his now-deceased brother were at the Convent with Brouillard, Brouillard called Vicente’s now-deceased brother into his bedroom, closed the door and told Vicente to wait in the living room,” the complaint states.

Brouillard’s sexually predatory practices extended to his service as a scoutmaster in the Guam chapter of the Boy Scouts of America, the complaint states. He allegedly sexually molested and abused San Nicolas on hiking, swimming and camping outings with the Boy Scouts, the complaint states.

San Nicolas alleged that other priests and archdiocese representatives, including the bishop at the time, Baumgartner, were aware of Brouillard’s sexual abuses but deliberately remained quiet and withheld the information from third parties, including San Nicolas’ parents or guardians and law enforcement authorities, in order to protect the priest.

Borja and San Nicolas, through Lujan, 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 jury trial of six.

The first batch of lawsuits was filed by four former altar boys who separately accused either Brouillard or Archbishop Anthony S. Apuron of sexually abusing or raping them decades ago.

The second batch of lawsuits were filed by two former altar boys against Brouillard and the estate of a deceased former altar boy against Apuron.

Contact: heugenio@guampdn.com