Director hopes for resolution of abuse cases

By Gaynor D. Daleno
Guam Daily Post
April 23, 2017

https://www.postguam.com/news/local/director-hopes-for-resolution-of-abuse-cases/article_51fa70f8-2686-11e7-aaa6-67b0327d92e7.html

HOPE AND HEALING: Mike Caspino was introduced at a Hope and Healing Guam press conference as the new director of the settlement fund, established by the Archdiocese of Agana for victims of sexual abuse on Guam, on Tuesday, April 11. Any person sexually abused by the clergy in Guam can call 1-888-649-5288 for assistance.

"We've learned that when you slug it out in court and go back and forth and eventually settle the cases, it doesn't do anybody much good." – Mike Caspino, director, Hope and Healing program

The director of a recently created program to promote hope and healing for multiple victims of child sex abuse at the hands of Guam priests decades ago said he's aiming for an out-of-court resolution of all the Guam cases.

And not only is Mike Caspino aiming to resolve all cases, which have topped 50 accusers in recent weeks, he's optimistic he can get all the parties to agree to a resolution by this summer.

Caspino was recently named by the Archdiocese of Agana as the director of the Hope and Healing program as part of archdiocesan efforts to reach out to victims of clergy sexual abuse by establishing a victims settlement fund.

He said the goal for a resolution by this summer is possible "through a lot of hard work and prayers."

After having seen victims in other archdioceses' legal battles continue for years, Caspino said he hopes for a quicker resolution that will bring closure and healing to the Guam victims, "because nothing can be resolved through litigation."

Victims' attorney skeptical

Attorney David Lujan, who represents most of the victims, has previously questioned the sincerity of the archdiocese's efforts through the Hope and Healing program, in part because Caspino is closely tied to the church. Lujan also questioned why the archdiocese is asking the court to dismiss the cases filed by the victims, mostly altar boys, some of whom were also exposed to abuse when they were Boy Scouts members.

"It already shows that they're not operating in good faith," Lujan said in a previous interview. "We will never agree to anyone that is related to the church," Lujan said.

Caspino said he has twice met with Lujan the past few days, and Caspino said he's "incredibly impressed" with Lujan's devotion to his clients.

"I understand what he's saying," Caspino said. "He cares deeply about his clients, and I care deeply about his clients."

During a recent press conference, Coadjutor Archbishop Michael Byrnes announced Caspino's appointment and reported on the progress toward establishing a board to manage the settlement fund.

"For the past few months, I've been emphasizing that as we face these endless complaints of sexual abuse of minors by clergy that my main commitment to this is to the healing of the victims – that we're ready to do whatever it takes to accomplish that," Byrnes said.

Caspino, an attorney from Orange County, California, with more than 20 years of experience representing Catholic dioceses, has experience working on hundreds of child sexual abuse cases.

He said the most important thing he has learned in his many years in this line of work is that litigation does little to help victims.

"In working on these cases over the years, we've learned quite a bit," he said. "We've learned that when you slug it out in court and go back and forth and eventually settle the cases, it doesn't do anybody much good," he said in a previous statement. "Unfortunately at the end of the day, the victim feels alienated, the victim's family feels alienated, members of the church community feel alienated and over the years, we have learned better ways to resolve these types of cases."