November 03, 2005

Judy DeLonga Breaks 40 Years Of Silence

SOUTH DAKOTA
Keloland

For 40 years, she kept quiet about her dark past, but tonight a woman who was sexually abused by a former South Dakota catholic priest breaks her silence.

Judy Delonga reached an out-of-court settlement with the Sioux Falls Catholic Diocese in her civil lawsuit, claiming she was repeatedly raped as a child by Father Bruce MacArthur.

Terms of the settlement are not being made public, but Judy DeLonga's attorney tells me it's substantial. But for Judy DeLonga this case wasn't about money, she says it was about justice, healing and protecting others from a man she says betrayed her trust.

An emotional Judy DeLonga could barely get the words out. Surrounded by her supporters, DeLonga spoke in front of the federal courthouse, letting out 40 years of penned-up pain.

"The abuse was severe and frequent, it was rape and he continued to stalk me for years after he left town," said DeLonga.

DeLonga was only ten years old when Father Bruce MacArthur began his sexual attacks, once even while she was in the hospital.

Posted by kshaw at November 3, 2005 07:27 AM