MASSACHUSETTS
Eagle-Tribune

By Mike LaBella mlabella@eagletribune.com

HAVERHILL — Standing a few dozen feet from where a 5-year-old girl was allegedly sexually assaulted by a former priest, Robert Hoatson told her story.

As he stood on the sidewalk outside All Saints Church on Thursday morning, Hoatson, co-founder and president of Road to Recovery Inc., said the victim is now 21 and has decided to come forward and file a civil lawsuit because she cannot live with the emotional pain caused by the assaults.

The suit claims some of the assaults on her by former All Saints priest Kelvin Iguabita happened in the basement of the church, which Hoatson stood in front of during his press conference on Thursday. Other assaults by Iguabita on the girl happened in the rectory behind the church, according to the suit.

Minutes after Thursday’s press conference, the Rev. Timothy Kearney, pastor of All Saints, who…