HONOLULU (HI)
Honolulu Star-Bulletin
By Mary Adamski and Rosemarie Bernardo
madamski@starbulletin.com | rbernardo@starbulletin.com
A KAUAI-BORN Catholic priest admitted to sexually abusing a teenage boy 29 years ago and will pay a portion of his income for the next 10 years to his accuser in the settlement of a lawsuit.
An apology for the misconduct of the Rev. Joseph Bukoski III, 52, was read aloud yesterday before Circuit Judge Bert Ayabe, who accepted the settlement agreement between the priest, his religious congregation and his accuser.
"I'm relieved the truth is now out," said Eugene Saulibio, a 44-year-old father of three children. "When I was 15 years old, Father Joseph Bukoski gave me drugs and alcohol, waited until I passed out and then sexually assaulted me.
"He caused me a lot of harm to me and my family," said the Aiea man who was near tears in a courthouse news conference. "It's really important to me that everybody starts healing -- not only me and my family, but all Catholics."