April 18, 2006

Priest abuse victim seeking multi-million damage award

BURLINGTON (VT)
Burlington Free Press

Published: Tuesday, April 18, 2006
By Sam Hemingway
Free Press Staff Writer

The man suing the state's Roman Catholic diocese on claims that, as a child, he was molested by a priest is seeking several million dollars in damages from the diocese, his lawyer told prospective jurors in the case Monday.

Michael Gay of South Burlington has alleged that the Rev. Ed Paquette sexually abused him in 1978 when Gay was a young boy receiving religious education from the priest at Christ the King Church.

"We are going to be talking damages to compensate Mr. Gay in the $2 million to $5 million range," Jerome O'Neill, Gay's attorney, told the prospective jurors. "We are going to be talking about what we call punitive damages, to punish the diocese ... in the multi-million dollar range."

Gay has agreed to permit publication of his name in The Burlington Free Press, which does not disclose the names of alleged victims of sexual abuse without their consent.

Posted by kshaw at April 18, 2006 06:42 AM