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	Women Identified in Roman Catholic Settlement Talk about Case KNBC October 8, 2007 http://www.knbc.com/news/14296057/detail.html Three of the four women who will share a $6.7 million settlement from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange identified themselves publicly Monday for the first time and named the church employees they said sexually abused them. The women are Christina Ruiz, 27; Elaina Kroll, 28; and Sarah Gray, 26. The fourth woman attended the news conference at the Newport Beach offices of attorney John Manly, but did not give her name or speak publicly. "It just came to a point in their healing where they felt comfortable to do it, especially when the three were together at the same time," said attorney Ryan DiMaria, who also worked on the cases. "They felt strength among themselves." The settlement of the four cases was announced Friday as the case involving Ruiz -- who said she was victimized by former Mater Dei High School assistant basketball coach Jeff Andrade -- was set to go to trial. Andrade, who left his coaching position in 1997, has admitted in a deposition that he had sex with his accuser. Ruiz told reporters that she was "abused at Mater Dei High School from 1995 to 1997." She said she was made to feel that no one would believe her. Diocese and school officials and diocese attorneys "made me believe that it was my fault," Ruiz told reporters. "They told me that I was pretty much asking for it and that I was the one who seduced him." A statement released by the diocese last week said in part, "this settlement represents the moral obligation for the church for such behavior by adults in positions of authority." On Tuesday, a court hearing is scheduled for Orange County Superior Court Judge Gail Andler to decide if Bishop Tod Brown should be held in contempt, DiMaria said. Plaintiff attorneys will ask for sanctions stemming from an incomplete deposition given by Monsignor John Urell. He had been in charge of handling abuse complaints, and recently broke down and did not finish giving his deposition. It was later learned that Urell had been sent to a facility in Canada that treats members of the clergy. His attorney, Patrick Hennessey, has said Urell was never accused of sexual abuse or any other wrongdoing, but suffers from an anxiety disorder brought on by the strain of his prior responsibility of responding to complaints of sexual abuse by others. DiMaria said Andler could order monetary sanctions or Brown could be jailed. The sanctions could be stiff, DiMaria said, adding that they should be "commensurate with deterring that conduct in the future." He said Brown "has to abide by the same laws as everyone else." Callahan said on Friday that he looks forward to the hearing and clearing Brown of any allegations of impropriety over Urell's leaving the country. A criminal case is proceeding in the case of Kroll, in addition to her lawsuit. Albert Lee Schildknecht, 56, of Laguna Niguel, a former choir director at St. Timothy Church in Laguna Niguel and later at St. Edward the Confessor in Dana Point, has been charged with oral copulation and digital penetration. The other alleged accusers have denied the allegations. Gray said she was abused by Larry Stukenholz, a choir director and teacher at Mater Dei. She said the acts allegedly took place in 1998, DiMaria said. The fourth woman, who did not give her name but was known as Jane A. Doe, claims her abuse was at the hands of Santa Margarita High School teacher Jeffrey Seckman, between 1990-94, in an on-again, off-again situation, DiMaria said. The money is expected to be paid out in 30 to 45 days, lawyers said. DiMaria did not elaborate on how the money will be divided, but said it is based on a number of factors, such as the nature of the abuse and how the diocese treated the accusing party.
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