GUAM
Pacific Daily News
Jasmine Stole , jstole@guampdn.com June 8, 2016
Sexual assault allegations against an archbishop are supposed to be investigated by the Vatican, and not locally, according to an expert in the laws of the Roman Catholic Church.
Although Guam Archbishop Anthony Apuron has been accused of sexually assaulting children in the 1970s, the alleged crimes happened so long ago they could not be criminally prosecuted, according to the Office of the Attorney General.
Canon lawyer Jennifer Haselberger, an expert in church law, said Vatican policy dictates that only Rome can investigate bishops who are accused of sexual abuse.
The Archdiocese of Agana on May 17 announced it had launched a local investigation in the sex abuse allegations against Apuron, which church officials have called “lies.” An attorney representing alleged abuse victim Roy Quintanilla has questioned the fairness and validity of the local investigation.
While Catholic churches have their respective policies to respond to sexual abuse allegations, the Vatican also has guidelines, Haselberger said.
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