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With Mounting Lawsuits, Guam's Catholic Church Bracing for the Worst

By Krystal Paco
KUAM
April 6, 2017

http://www.kuam.com/story/35083008/2017/04/Thursday/with-mounting-lawsuits-guams-catholic-church-bracing-for-the-worst

[with video]

The numbers are climbing. "I don't know when the end is for the number of suits coming forward," said Archbishop Michael Byrnes. "We'll deal with them as they come. And our prayers multiply." The coadjutor notes the litany of lawsuits against the Archdiocese of Agana, both in local and federal courts.

The archbishop attended today's Child Abuse Prevention and Sexual Assault Awareness Month resolution and proclamation signing, where it was evident - this is an islandwide problem. "I was encouraged today by seeing a community-wide awareness to this," His Excellency shared with KUAM News. "We've become very aware in the church and just knowing that we're not alone in that awareness is a big help."

Yet another filing was made on Thursday in the Superior Court of Guam, this time from a former altar boy at the Nuestra Senora de las Aguas Church in Mongmong. Only identified by his initials "D.C.", he alleges he was sexually molested by his priest, Father Antonio Cruz in the late 1950s when he was 13 or 14 years old. The plaintiff alleges the priest groomed him for the sexual assault to come - complimenting him and allowing him to drink communion wine.

He alleges the priest took him on a car ride, but parked hidden in the jungle stating "I want something from you." He alleges the priest asked him about his experiences with girls and performed oral sex on him. The priest would later bribe him not to tell anyone. D.C. quit as an altar boy and stopped attending mass. Cruz passed away in 1986.

D.C. is represented by Attorney Anthony Perez. The complaint requests the church publicize known sexual offenders as well as establish a whistle blower policy among other equitable relief.

The church meanwhile, is continuing to work on securing a third-party custodian for its $1 million settlement fund, which was announced earlier this year. "We're hoping in the next week or so to announce the final establishment of the settlement fund and we're coming very close to having that as another arm to reaching out to victims," said Byrnes.

"We can do this very confidentially, especially for those who are hurting in private," he said.

D.C. marks the 46th victim to file suit.

 

 

 

 

 




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