Archdiocese to Expand Child Protection Training to Parishes

By Haidee V Eugenio
Pacific Daily News
December 24, 2016

http://www.guampdn.com/story/news/2016/12/24/archdiocese-expand-protection-training-parishes/95736206/

The Archdiocese of Agana, which is now facing 14 lawsuits over allegations that some of its current and former priests sexually abused altar boys, is expanding to different parishes to strengthen its protection of minors.

The archdiocese’s Task Force for the Protection of Minors, created in September under Vatican-sent Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai’s leadership, has been conducting training of faculty and staff at Catholic schools related to the protection of youth from sexual abuses.

The three latest Catholic schools to receive the training are Bishop Baumgartner Memorial School in Sinajana, Infant of Prague Catholic Nursery and Kindergarten in Ta’i, Mangilao, and Notre Dame High School in Talofofo.

By next year, these types of training will extend to the parish level, the archdiocese said in a statement issued Wednesday night.

The same statement acknowledges the 13th allegation of sexual abuse and lawsuit filed by former altar boy James Bascon, now 60, against the archdiocese and former island priest Louis Brouillard. Brouillard publicly admitted to sexually abusing at least 20 boys on Guam, his home from the late 1940s to 1981.

“We extend our prayers to Mr. Bascon and his family,” the archdiocese said. “The Archdiocese is committed to ensuring that all people, most especially minors, are served in a safe, loving and caring environment, fully protected from sexual abuse and harm of any kind.”

The archdiocese also added a second designated person and second 24-hour hotline for those who want to report incidents of sexual abuse. Sister Dorothy Lettiere of the Archdiocesan Victims Support Group can be contacted at 685-7305 any time. Deacon Leonard Stohr remains the sexual abuse response coordinator for the archdiocese and he can be reached at 727-7373 or at deaconlen1@gmail.com. All communication is held in the strictest confidence, the archdiocese added.

On Guam, filing clergy sex abuse lawsuits is made possible by Gov. Eddie Calvo’s signing of a law on Sept. 23, lifting the civil statute of limitations for those accused of abusing children, as well as the institutions that supported them.

The lawsuit paved the way for 14 former altar boys and former Boy Scouts, to file separate lawsuits against priests, the Archdiocese of Agana and up to 50 other unnamed individuals who may have helped, abetted, covered up or concealed priest sexual abuses.

Besides Brouillard, other accused priests include Archbishop Anthony S. Apuron who is undergoing a canonical trial at the Vatican, and David Anderson, a former priest in Sinajana and former teacher at Father Duenas Memorial School.

Contact: heugenio@guampdn.com