Lawyer Accuses Guam's Archbishop of a Coverup

Radio New Zealand
June 9, 2016

http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/programmes/datelinepacific/audio/201803881/lawyer-accuses-guam's-archbishop-of-a-coverup

[with audio]

The lawyer for several victims who claim they were abused by Guam's archbishop is accusing him of a coverup, and says he expects more people to come forward with allegations against him and other priests.

Transcript

The lawyer for several victims who claim they were abused by Guam's archbishop is accusing him of a coverup, and says he expects more people to come forward with allegations against him and other priests.

A claim of rape against Archbishop Anthony Apuron came shortly after Pope Francis appointed an administrator to manage the Catholic Church in Guam while an investigation is conducted into abuse claims.

Jo O'Brien reports:

Walter Denton is the third person to make an allegation of sexual abuse against the Archbishop. In an emotional account to the media reported on the Pacific News Center website, the 52 year-old says he was raped by Archbishop Apuron in 1977 when he was just 13 years old.

WALTER DENTON: "It hurts so much just thinking about it. It's like it just happened yesterday."

He says Archbishop Apuron, who was a priest at the time, warned him against telling anyone about the attack.

WALTER DENTON: "I asked him why did he do that to me, I kept asking him why. He said if I said anything to anyone noone would believe me."

The latest claim follows earlier allegations the archbishop molested two altar boys in the 1970s. He has strongly denied those accusations. But in a video posting from Rome, Archbishop Apuron says Pope Francis has granted his request to appoint a temporary administrator to the church in Guam.

ANTHONY APURON: "By this appointment the Holy Father has understood the importance of establishing the truth and will allow an independent investigation of these false allegations to proceed."

In the video Archbishop Apuron goes on to reaffirm his innocence and says he remains the Archbishop of Agana. The lawyer for Walter Denton and several other abuse claimants, David Lujan, says the appointment of a temporary administrator is not good enough.

DAVID LUHAN: "The Archbishop sent a video crowing that he is still in charge. The point he was making is that you know I'm still the man, and the people that advised the Archbishop are now we're assuming the people that are advising the temporary administrator. Until you remove those people and until you the Archbishop himself is removed from that position, nothing has changed."

Attorney David Lujan says he knows of two other abuse claims against the archbishop, and is accusing him of being involved in a coverup of abuse by other priests.

DAVID LUHAN: "You're going to have to read between the lines because there are other things not just directly against the Archbishop, but where the Archbishop by his very actions is covering up other priests."

David Lujan says he intends to file a defamation suit against the archbishop for calling some of the victims liars, when he knows their claims are true. Pacific News Center Assistant news director Janela Carrera says a lot of anger and hostility is now being expressed towards Archbishop Apuron.

JANELA CARRERA: "There is a sense of division within the Church here, even with the entire community just given the fact that the Archbishop has been a figure here on Guam for the last 30 years, he is well known. But I think even those who aren't Catholic are beginning to feel the effects of this entire scandal."

Janela Carrera says while the archbishop says the appointment of a temporary administrator was at his request, the move by the Vatican may not bode well for his future in the position.