6 Former Guam Altar Boys Sue Priest, Vatican for $30m in US Federal Court

By Haidee V Eugenio
Pacific Daily News
January 25, 2017

http://www.guampdn.com/story/news/2017/01/25/6-former-guam-altar-boys-sue-priest-vatican-30m-us-federal-court/97029078/

Six former altar boys on Guam filed multimillion-dollar lawsuits in federal court Wednesday afternoon against former island priest Louis Brouillard, the Archdiocese of Agana and the Vatican over allegations that Brouillard sexually abused them decades ago.

The lawsuits were filed in the District Court of Guam after at least eight Superior Court of Guam judges recused themselves from hearing any of the 15 clergy sex abuse lawsuits so far filed in the Superior Court, Attorney Gloria Lujan Rudolph, of the law firm Lujan & Wolff, said Wednesday.

As many as nine other lawsuits, also alleging rape or sex abuse by other former and current Catholic priests on Guam, including Archbishop Anthony S. Apuron, will be filed in the District Court of Guam in the days ahead, Attorney David Lujan said.

The six former altar boys on Guam who filed the lawsuits on Wednesday afternoon include Leo B. Tudela, 73; James A. Bascon, 60; Norman J.D. Aguon, 56; Anthony J. Vegafria, 56; Vicente G. Perez, 51; and Bruce A. Diaz, 47.

They each seek not less than $5 million in general damages, for a total of at least $30 million, plus attorney’s fees, and other costs and fees, their federal lawsuits state. Each also demands a jury trial.

The six separate lawsuits were filed in federal court by the law firm Lujan & Wolff — which also filed 15 separate clergy sex abuse lawsuits on behalf of 15 former altar boys in the Superior Court of Guam in November and December.

The defendants named in each of the six lawsuits are the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Agana, a corporation sole; Brouillard; and up to 50 entities including the Vatican, who may have helped, abetted, assisted or covered up the priest sex abuse of altar boys.

Contact: heugenio@guampdn.com