BishopAccountability.org

One of Apuron's accusers meets with canonical trial group

By Krystal Paco
KUAM
April 17, 2017

http://www.kuam.com/story/35163092/2017/04/17/one-of-apurons-accusers-meets-with-canonical-trial-group


He's a named plaintiff in four civil suits in the District Court of Guam for clergy sex abuse. But what's the status with Archbishop Anthony Apuron's canonical trial in Rome?

One Apuron accuser met with the group charged with the investigation and they report the end could be near.

Rewind to last summer, where Walter Denton announced publicly, "I was raped by Anthony Sablan Apuron, who at that time was a priest in Agat. I shouted out to father Anthony to stop.  I kept shouting and I tried to move but all I could feel was him on top of me. It seemed like forever father Anthony stayed on top of me. I was crying out to him asking him to please stop."

And fast forward to today, Archbishop Apuron's accusers could see closure as early as this summer. "They're hoping the canonical trial will be over early summer, probably around July timeframe," said Denton.

In a phone interview with KUAM, Arizona's Walter Denton confirms he met with the group charged with the canonical investigation into Apuron as part of his ongoing canonical trial in Rome. The Tribunal consists of Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke, Father James Conn, and Father Justin Wachs accompanied by canon lawyers representing Apuron. The two and a half hour meeting took place in San Francisco on March 17.

"They were there to listen to what I had to say. They weren't there to play games," Denton said. "They did not try to say anything that would kind of trick me to say something that would be used against me." He continued, "They were really concerned about what happened to me. They honestly made me feel comfortable telling my story."

After providing his deposition, he was able to meet with the Tribunal's Father Wachs who further assured him his testimony didn't fall on deaf ears. "He (Father Wachs) was really happy about that. Because honestly he told me without us coming forward and giving our testimony to the tribunal, it was going to be hard for them to come up with a conclusion as far as what they're going to decide what's going to happen with Apuron," he said.

Also meeting with the Tribunal last month was Doris Concepcion, the mother of Joseph "Sonny" Quinata. Concepcion says the group came to Arizona to hear her over 2-hour deposition. As reported, Quinata was on his deathbed when he reportedly told his mother he was sexually abused by Apuron.

"I didn't want to take it to my grave the way my son did...I just want Apruon to be defrocked and exposed."

 




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