GUAM
KUAM
[with copy of Mr. Tudela’s full statement]
Updated: Jul 31, 2016
By Jason Salas
Another person has come forward, alleging members of Guam’s Catholic clergy of sexual molestation. Born in 1943, Leo Tudela, originally from Saipan, openly wept before the community as he detailed a series of traumatic events involving clergy after he came to Guam to attend Catholic school in the summer of 1956. Tudela testified at a continued public hearing at the Guam Legislature over a substitute version of Bill 326, which seeks to lift the statute of limitations for cases involving child sex abuse. Last week, Archbishop Anthony Apuron’s accusers testified at a similar public hearing for the bill.
While strongly urging passage of the legislation, Tudela shared his very personal and painful recollection of a series of events that happened to him when he was 13 years old. Now 73, he tearfully detailed how on three occasions, he was molested and forced to perform sexual acts upon himself.
Tudela began by describing how he came to Guam in the summer of 1956 to attend Catholic school, residing at the monastery in Agana Heights. One night, he recalled, he awoke to discover a man touching his penis, who Tudela said identified himself as “Brother Mariano”. He also detailed that while later staying in the rectory, one night he felt someone massaging his penis, who he identified as “Father Luis”.
Additionally, he said that while in the Boy Scouts, he was also told by a scout leader to remove his pants and masturbate. Tudela explained that altar boys were required to join the Boy Scouts – if they refused to perform lascivious acts, they would be forced to work duties around the campgrounds.
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