Woman Says She Was Victimized at Age 11
By Jennie Rodriguez-Moore
STOCKTON - A woman has come forward, saying she was abused by defrocked priest Oliver O'Grady from 1991 to 1992, when he served in the St. Andrew's parish in San Andreas. Identified in court papers as "Jane Doe 51," the woman said O'Grady molested her when she was 11 and 12 years old. She is now in her 30s. She filed a civil lawsuit for an unlimited, undetermined amount against the Diocese of Stockton in August at San Joaquin County Superior Court, claiming the diocese failed to protect her by covering up O'Grady's sex crimes and continuing to employ him. The civil complaint says Jane Doe 51 comes from a devoutly religious family. She was baptized, confirmed, received the sacraments, went to confession with O'Grady and celebrated weekly Mass at the church. The woman said O'Grady molested her while he was baby-sitting her in the family's home. According to the lawsuit, he used his authority and position as a holy man to gain control over the alleged victim and used his relationship as counselor to gain trust and deceive her. By his words and actions, O'Grady assured her "that his conduct was proper," the lawsuit states. As a result, the woman in this case didn't fully understand she was a victim, and she blamed herself, court papers say. She never told anyone about the molestations until February this year, according to the suit. The woman is filing her complaint under the legal statute within three years of the date she discovered her psychological injuries. Although she never repressed her memories of the abuse, the suit says, "she buried memories of it as far as she could out of her conscious mind." Jane Doe 51 is seeking damages for negligence, sexual battery and fraud, among other causes of action. Her suit alleges church officials knew or should have known O'Grady was a danger to children, specifically because there were prior reports of his unlawful sexual misconduct. "Defendant Diocese failed to provide reasonable supervision of perpetrator, failed to use reasonable care in investigating perpetrator, and failed to provide adequate warning to plaintiff and her family of perpetrator's dangerous propensities and unfitness," the lawsuit says. Complaints of sexual misconduct existed in O'Grady's file, stored in the church's "secret archives." The woman's lawsuit alleges that the church ratified the sexual abuse by allowing O'Grady to minister to children. O'Grady was convicted of molesting two boys from Turlock, he and served seven years of a 14-year sentence before being deported to his native Ireland in 2000. The church has spent millions of dollars settling civil lawsuits on such cases involving O'Grady. The defrocked priest has admitting to molesting many children. His crimes are documented in the 2006 Oscar-nominated documentary "Deliver Us From Evil." O'Grady currently is serving time in an Ireland prison for child pornography charges. The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests released a statement on Jane Doe 51's lawsuit, saying network members believe there are many others who have yet to come forward. "How many more O'Grady victims are suffering in silence?" said Joelle Casteix, a regional director of the network. "O'Grady destroyed children across Stockton, yet his bosses did little to protect children - and even less to help victims. I fear there may be many more victims who don't know they have rights to seek justice." Paul N. Balestracci of Neumiller & Beardslee in Stockton is representing the diocese on four active child sex abuse lawsuits, including Jane Doe 51's and two others naming O'Grady as the perpetrator. Balestracci said he couldn't comment specifically on Jane Doe 51's, since he had just received the complaint. He said he believes the diocese has never heard from her before the suit. Another recently filed civil complaint involves former St. Joachim's priest Michael Kelly. A 24-year-old former altar boy who served at St. Andrew's while Kelly led the church filed suit Sept. 12. Kelly departed to Ireland in April before the church settled a different lawsuit - $3.75 million to Travis Trotter, a former altar boy from Cathedral of the Annunciation. All of the diocese's child sex abuse suits currently in litigation are claims of occurrences at least 20 years ago, Balestracci said. Stockton's Bishop Stephen Blaire has since made changes to the diocese's policies on sexual misconduct. "We haven't had lawsuits for recent behaviors," Balestracci said. But, he said, the diocese's policy revisions have no effect on reports of conduct before the changes. Contact: jrodriguez@recordnet.com
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