EL PASO (TX)
KFOX-TV, Ch. 14 [El Paso TX]
May 6, 2024
By David Ibave
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KFOX14/CBS4) — Two New Mexico law firms have filed a lawsuit against the Catholic Diocese of El Paso for sexual abuse of children by priests.
The lawsuit alleges that catholic priest Fr. Lucio Lopez from the San Miguel Parish in San Miguel County, New Mexico (south of Las Cruces) abused a child weekly for two years sometime between 1959 and 1960.
According to the lawsuit, Lopez used his position to sexually abuse the child, convincing them the abuse was normal.
Lopez reportedly told the victim they had been “‘chosen by God’ to obey him and fulfill his sexual needs.”
The lawsuit also accuses the Catholic Diocese of El Paso and the San Miguel Parish of negligence for failing to prevent the abuse and ensure the safety of parishioners.
Huffman Wallace & Monagle LLC and Davis Kelin Law Firm LLC, the two firms representing the plaintiff in the lawsuit, released the following statements to the media:
We know there are many more victims of [Catholic Diocese of El Paso] priests in southern New Mexico. No matter how long ago this happened, it’s not too late.
The bottom line is this: the Catholic Church had and continues to have a duty to hire, supervise and retain priests who will not molest, abuse and harm vulnerable parishioners. This is about more than the pursuit of compensation. It extends to the important work of increasing transparency, increasing child safety, and increasing checks and balances on the Catholic Church as an incredibly important institution in our society.
Click here to see the lawsuit.