HAWAII
Honolulu Star-Bulletin
By Debra Barayuga
dbarayuga@starbulletin.com
Alexander Winchester says he still has faith in God, after a state judge dismissed his lawsuit against the Catholic Church alleging he had been molested by a parish priest at age 11.
But believing those in the pulpit purportedly preaching the word of God is another matter, Winchester said.
"It's just gonna be a new day for me, and I will try take it one day at a time," he said.
In August 2002, Winchester sued the Catholic Church and the estate of Alphonsus Boumeister, a former pastor and parish priest at St. Stephen's Catholic Church in Nuuanu. He claimed he had been fondled or sexually assaulted on at least six occasions in 1961, when he was 11 years old.
Circuit Judge Victoria Marks ruled yesterday there was no evidence to support Winchester's claims.
"This is not a situation where the plaintiffs have come forward with evidence showing this priest was shuffled from one parish to another because the church or the Fathers of the Sacred Hearts knew he was a problem," she said. "Here, we have absolutely no information anyone knew this priest had a risk for inappropriately touching children."
Posted by kshaw at March 25, 2005 08:18 AM