CONNECTICUT
The Hartford Courant
By Dave Altimari
Three siblings allege in lawsuits that they were sexually abused by a member of the Jehovah’s Witnesses organization when they were children living in New Haven.
The lawsuits, filed in New Haven Superior Court, allege that the siblings from the Almodovar family were sexually abused over a five-year period starting in 1988 by Orlando Afanador, a “ministerial servant.” Their lawyers say it is the first lawsuits filed in Connecticut against the religious organization.
On Wednesday, sisters Sybelle Almodovar and Evelyn Selimaj attended a press conference held by their attorneys, Irwin Zalkin of San Diego and Thomas McNamara of New Haven, to announce the lawsuits against the East Spanish Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses New Haven and the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York. A spokesman for the organization had no comment.
Their brother, Ferdinand Almodovar, also filed suit. McNamara said a fourth lawsuit alleging similar claims of sexual abuse by Afanador will be filed for Bianca Martinez, another former New Haven resident.
Afanador is on the state sexual offender registry. The registry indicates he was convicted of sexual assault of a child in Omaha, Nebraska in August of 2010 and was released from prison in January of 2013. It indicates he currently lives in New Haven. He could not be reached for comment.
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