Clergy child sex abuse allegations arise

HAWAII
The Worthy Adversary

Honolulu Star-Adveriser

Damien Memorial School and St. Anthony are hit with accusations of molestation

By Rob Perez
POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Aug 24, 2012

Twelve former students at Damien high school on Oahu have filed claims in a New York bankruptcy court alleging that they were sexually abused by clergy who were working at the private Catholic school in the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s.

The allegations were disclosed Thursday by a California attorney who is representing the alleged victims in their claims against the North American branch of the Congregation of Christian Brothers, which runs Catholic schools around the country and supplies some staff to what is now called Damien Memorial School.

Michael Reck of the law firm Jeff Anderson & Associates said officials overseeing the school during that period were aware of the abuse problem but covered it up for years.”It’s really a conspiracy of silence and abuse that’s most troubling,” Reck said.

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