Man Claims He Was Sexually Abused by Priest, Considers Lawsuit against Providence Diocese

By Michelle San Miguel
NBC 10 News
September 23, 2019

https://turnto10.com/news/local/man-claims-he-was-sexually-assaulted-by-priest-considers-a-lawsuit-against-the-diocese

Robert Houllahan was about 8 years old when he said a Roman Catholic priest sexually assaulted him in the late 1970s.

Houllahan, 50, is considering suing the Diocese of Providence after the statute of limitations was recently extended for victims of sexual abuse.

During a news conference Monday, Houllahan said he was in Sunday school at St. Joseph's Church in Providence around 1977-1978 when a nun took him out of class and took him upstairs to where Father Normand Demers lived.

“When I got upstairs, there was Normand Demers and another man there. They assaulted me. It was demeaning. It was terrible,” Houllahan said.

Demers died last year at 85 years old. In July, the Diocese of Providence released the names of priests and deacons who've been credibly accused of sexual abuse. Demers was on that list.

Houllahan said the Diocese of Providence needs to do more than just release the names of clergy who've been credibly accused. He wants to know what they're accused of doing and how many victims were involved.

Houllahan and his attorney, Mitchell Garabedian, are considering filing a civil lawsuit against the Diocese of Providence and Demers' estate. Garabedian said when he contacted the diocese in 2012, he was told the case was beyond the statute of limitations. However, a new law in Rhode Island gives sexual-abuse victims 35 years to sue from the time they turn 18.

“I feel like this institution makes guys like this,” Houllahan said.

The diocese said it removed Demers from ministry in 2002 following a credible allegation of abuse. The diocese also said it reported Houllahan's allegations to Rhode Island State Police.