GUAM
Marianas Variety
By Jasmine Stole – jasmine@mvguam.com – Variety News Staff
HAGÅTÑA — Deacon Larry Claros, the recently appointed sexual abuse response coordinator for the Agana Archdiocese, said he believes that Archbishop Anthony Apuron is innocent.
Recently, former Guam resident and ex-seminarian John Toves revealed publicly that he had knowledge that the archbishop molested his male relative some 30 years ago. Claros and Toves met briefly yesterday morning at the Chancery office here in Hagåtña.
Toves said he wanted to meet with Archbishop Apuron personally while he is on Guam but Apuron’s spokesman, Rev. Adrian Cristobal said the archbishop was “fully booked” yesterday when Toves arrived at the Chancery office. Instead, Toves met with Claros.
After the short meeting, Claros said the meeting with Toves went well. The deacon said a review board met and decided not to investigate the claims made in Toves’ letter.
“There is no investigation. These are just allegations brought forth by Mr. Toves and the review board met to look at these allegations and see if there was anything we need to investigate and there was not,” Claros said.
The victim should make the accusations of molestation, Claros said, not another person.
“I think if anyone is to go ahead and give allegations, that the responsible person needs to surface and make those accusations (him) or herself versus a third party,” the deacon said.
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