Two Ex-boston Archdiocese Officials Sued in Sex Abuse Case

By John R. Ellement
Boston Globe
October 8, 2015

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2015/10/08/chelmsford-woman-sues-two-former-boston-archdiocese-officials/Exxg1yY8yeHbjSrD27vaNK/story.html

A Chelmsford woman is suing two former officials in the Boston Archdiocese, alleging that she was sexually molested at a Haverhill parish by a now-defrocked priest because they failed to properly supervise him.

The lawsuit was filed in Middlesex Superior Court by Boston attorney Mitchell Garabedian, who has brought dozens of complaints against members of the clergy in recent years, many of whom once served in the Boston Archdiocese.

The lawsuit alleges the woman was victimized from 1999 to 2001 by Kelvin E. Iguabita when he was assigned to the All Saints Parish in Haverhill and she was 5 and 6 years old.

Iguabita is alleged to have repeatedly sexually molested and raped her.

The Globe does not identify reported victims of sexual assault.

Iguabita was prosecuted by Essex District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett’s office in 2003 for raping a 15-year-old girl who worked as a secretary at the rectory of the All Saints parish. He was sentenced to 12 to 14 years in state prison, records show.

Iquabita was the head of the parish’s Catholic Youth Organization at the Haverhill parish at the time he raped the teenager, the Globe has reported.

In a statement, Garabedian said Iguabita is believed to be living in Honduras. He is also known as Kelvin E. Rodriguez, according to Garabedian.

The lawsuit does not name the Boston Archdiocese, and spokesman Terry Donilon wrote in an e-mail that “out of respect for all persons involved, we do not comment on individual cases.”

The lawsuit does target two former Boston Archdiocese officials and a third person known only as John Doe with supervisory authority over Iguabita while he trained to be a priest and after he joined the archdiocese.

Bishop William F. Murphy of the Rockville Centre Diocese in Long Island and the Rev. Paul E. Miceli both should have taken steps to keep Iguabita from serving as a priest, the lawsuit alleges. Miceli is the dean of seminarians at the Pope St. John XXIII National Seminary in Weston.

Miceli and Murphy could not be reached for comment.

The lawsuit asserts that Murphy and Miceli were responsible for the “hiring, retention, direction, and supervision of individuals to be assigned or affiliated with All Saints parish,’’ including Iguabita.

The woman has experienced severe emotional distress including “depression, manic symptoms, sleep difficulties, agitation, anger, and suicidality,’’ according to the lawsuit.

John R. Ellement can be reached at ellement@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @JREbosglobe.