Oregon man sues over alleged priest abuse around 1967

By Haidee V Eugenio
Pacific Daily News
July 10, 2018

https://www.guampdn.com/story/news/2018/07/10/oregon-man-sues-over-alleged-priest-abuse-around-1967/770471002/

The Guam flag waves in the tropical breeze with the Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral Basilica steeple set in the background on May 23, 2017. Photo by Rick Cruz

A former Guam resident now living in Oregon said a now deceased priest sexually abused him at the Chalan Pago church rectory around 1967 and that incident led him to quit being a Catholic, according to a $5 millionlawsuit filed on Tuesday in federal court.

The plaintiff, identified in court documents only as J.V.C. to protect his privacy, said he was about 14 or 15 when Father Antonio C. Cruz molested and abused him.

The abuse and molestation included fondling the boy and trying to force him to penetrate the priest, the lawsuit said. It allegedly happened on the day the priest asked J.V.C., after confession, to bring a coconut to his room. 

"As J.V.C. walked towards Cruz, he noticed Cruz was naked and masturbating. Once J.V.C. was within arm's reach, Cruz pulled J.V.C.'s shorts down and began fondling and masturbating J.V.C.," the lawsuit says. Further abuse allegedly happened in the room.

The boy, according to the complaint, refused and immediately left the rectory. The priest instructed the boy, as he was leaving, not to tell anyone, the lawsuit says.

"J.V.C. could not handle the pain, humiliation and embarrassment that Cruz inflicted on him, so he quit participating in confessions. Eventually, J.V.C. quit going to the Catholic Church altogether and ceased being a Catholic," the complaint says.

Cruz died around November 1986. J.V.C., meanwhile, is now 65.

J.V.C. is represented by Attorney David Lujan. J.V.C. is the latest to file a lawsuit against the Archdiocese of Agana and others, over clergy sex abuse. The cases filed are nearing 180, and the parties are trying to pursue mediation to settle the cases.