GUAM
Pacific Daily News
Deacon Leonard Stohr, the Archdiocese of Agana’s sexual abuse response coordinator, said he spoke Tuesday with a man who reported he witnessed the Rev. Antonio Cruz and seminarian Anthony S. Apuron — now the island’s archbishop — sexually molest a 10-year-old altar boy during a church rectory sleepover in March 1964.
Yigo resident Ramon Afaisen De Plata, 62, on Sunday told the Pacific Daily News he witnessed the molestation when he was 10 years old, after entering the priest’s bedroom to use the restroom. He said his older brother saw the same thing. He gave a statement to other island media Monday, and the Archdiocese issued a written statement Monday evening, saying it will investigate.
“Though Father Cruz is deceased, the issue will still be investigated,” Stohr said Tuesday, adding the work will be done by an independent investigator. “There may be other victims or witnesses that we may offer support to at this time. The witnesses could also include Mr. De Plata’s brother. The investigation will try to find out Father Cruz’s date of ordination, his assignments, which churches and villages, his positions whether he’s a parish priest or pastor, his superiors, the altar servers at the time, other parishioners, and going through church records,” Stohr said. Any information will be forwarded to the Vatican, he said.
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