CALIFORNIA
Bakersfield Now
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) — A man who was molested by his priest as a boy is getting a new civil trial against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fresno.
In an earlier trial, it was found that the priest had molested many children, but because of the statute of limitations, the Diocese wasn’t liable. Brothers George and Howard Santillan were molested for years, starting in 1959, by their priest Monsenior Anthony Herdegen.
In 2009, the Santillan brothers took their case to court. During that trial it was proved that Herdegen had molested them and other children. However, the jury found that the Diocese had no knowledge of the abuse and therefore wasn’t responsible.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.