GALLUP (NM)
Gallup Independent via BishopAccountability.org
By Elizabeth Hardin-Burrola
Gallup Independent
July 30, 2012
Gallup — The number of publicly accused clergy sex abusers from the Diocese of Gallup recently increased from 16 to 19.
In court documents in the Clement A. Hageman “Route 66” priest abuse lawsuit, Robert E. Pastor, the plaintiff’s attorney, named two more Gallup priests — one deceased and one absent from ministry — as being alleged sexual abusers. A third accused priest’s name was found in related church records.
In a court document dated June 13, Pastor included a chart, featuring the names of five priests, which illustrates his belief that the Diocese of Gallup “engaged in a pattern and practice of assigning pedophile priests to poor rural towns of Northern Arizona.” Three of the priests, Hageman, John T. Sullivan, and James M. Burns, have been acknowledged by Catholic officials as being pedophiles. The other two priests, Samuel Wilson and Raul Sanchez, have never been publicly accused of abuse before.
In a recent telephone interview, Pastor said he represents a number of other clients who allege they were sexually abused by either Hageman, Wilson or Sanchez. Although Pastor has filed only one Hageman-related clergy abuse lawsuit against the Gallup Diocese, he said the diocese is aware of his other clients’ allegations.
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