Oakland Diocese Adds 18 Names to List of Clergy Accused of Sex Abuse

By Gwendolyn Wu
San Francisco Chronicle
June 3, 2019

https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Oakland-Diocese-adds-18-names-to-alleged-sex-13926213.php

Stephan Wilcox, Chancellor of the Oakland Catholic diocese, released the names of priests, decons and religious brothers credibly accused of sexual abuse of a minor at the Oakland Catholic diocese in Oakland, California, USA 17 Feb 2019. (Peter DaSilva/Special to The Chronicle)

The Diocese of Oakland has added 18 friars it claimed sexually abused children to a list of accused priests from East Bay parishes, officials said Monday.

The new names come from a list released Friday by the Franciscan Friars of Santa Barbara, whose territory includes California, Arizona, Oregon and Washington. Friars on the list may have served in or lived at the diocese in the past, said Helen Osman, a diocese spokeswoman.

Church officials said they did not know of the accusations until the friars released the new list.

“Although these men were in the Diocese, the Diocese had no record of any allegations being made against them until the Franciscans released their list on May 31,” Osman said.

Diocese of Oakland Chancellor Steve Wilcox released a list of 45 accused clergy in February, none of whom allegedly abused anyone after 1988.

Two priests within the diocese who have been accused of sex abuse in recent months do not appear on the list: Fr. Alex Castillo, who fled the country in February following a criminal investigation into sexual misconduct allegations, and Fr. Hector David Mendoza-Vela, who has been charged by the Alameda County district attorney’s office with 30 counts of felony child sex abuse.

The Survivors Network for those Abused by Priests said church officials should have publicly announced the changes sooner.

Putting those names in the spotlight could convince more abuse victims to come forward, said Melanie Sakoda, a SNAP spokeswoman.

“It’s hard to be the first one, but it’s not as hard to be one of the later ones,” she said.

Father David Gaa, the provincial minister of the Franciscan Friars of Santa Barbara, said the order sent a list of accused friars to every diocese in its territory where victims accused a working friar of sexual misconduct.

“My hope is it brings some healing to the victims, their supporters and recognition, probably a little late, that they were telling the truth and this is a serious problem,” Gaa said.

The criteria for credible accusations differs between dioceses. The Diocese of Oakland only includes names on the list if the allegations if the abuse took place when the victim was a minor and the perpetrator was a clergy member at the time of or after the alleged abuse.

Officials said the abuse also must have been committed within the diocese’s jurisdiction, done by a person affiliated with the Diocese of Oakland or the accused must have lived in Alameda or Contra Costa counties.

Gwendolyn Wu is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: gwendolyn.wu@sfchronicle.com