CALIFORNIA
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

Statement by Joelle Casteix of Newport Beach, SNAP Western Regional Director, 949.322.7434, jcasteix@gmail.com

The sexual molestation of a child by a person in a position of power—especially religious power—is a crime.

The term “statutory rape” is troublesome. It implies that the victim—a child—has the power to consent to a sexual relationship with a much older adult in a position of power. Not only was Fr. Hector Coria an adult who should have known better, but he is also a priest with a moral and religious authority. And now, he has allegedly sexually molested a child. That is a crime with devastating effects on the victim, the community and the public.

We encourage Davis and Yolo County law enforcement to vigorously investigate this case, seek out other victims, and encourage witnesses to come forward. Coria has only been a priest for a…