GUAM
The Guam Daily Post
Neil Pang | The Guam Daily Post
The Archdiocese of Agana has asked the District Court of Guam to dismiss the 36 pending child sexual abuse cases that have been filed against it.
The archdiocese contends the recently passed law, which prompted the filing of the suits, does not actually provide for claimants to file such actions against third parties.
“The plaintiffs assert that (Bill 326-33, now Public Law 33-187) revives these long-expired claims against the archdiocese,” court documents state. “It does not.”
In supporting arguments made in court documents, a legal counsel for the Archdiocese of Agana, John Terlaje, explained the law eliminates the statute of limitations for future claims, “attempts” to revive expired claims against “alleged perpetrators,” but “does not revive expired claims against third parties such as the archdiocese.”
Pointing to both what he termed the “plain language” of the final version of Bill 326 as well as the legislative history, Terlaje said it was clear the law did not permit any of the plaintiffs who have come forward so far to file claims against the archdiocese.
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