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	Sex Abuse Suits Name Oakland Diocese, Martinez Volunteer CBS 5 [Oakland CA] June 23, 2006 http://cbs5.com/localwire/localfsnews/bcn/2006/06/23/n/ HeadlineNews/SEX-ABUSE/resources_bcn_html Two young women have filed lawsuits against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland claiming that they were sexually abused and molested by a volunteer youth minister in Martinez between 2002 and 2004, when the women were high school students. The suits, filed in Alameda County Superior Court last week, also name 33-year-old Ray Valero, the volunteer minister at St. Catherine's Parish in Martinez, as a defendant for allegedly being the perpetrator. The suits come 10 months after the diocese reached a $56 million settlement on behalf of 56 victims of childhood molestation by priests. Hayward attorney Rick Simons, who represents the plaintiffs, said today that the new allegations show that while the Oakland diocese has made significant progress in protecting children from sexual abuse, "there's still more work to do." The Rev. Mark Wiesner, a spokesman for the Oakland diocese, said the diocese "is making great strides" in training priests and staff to prevent sexual abuse and "it's frustrating" that new allegations have been made. Wiesner said, "It points out that we still need to work on this and that training needs to be improved and ongoing." Wiesner said, "We want our churches and schools to be safe places for everyone." However, he said, "Realistically, in any organization there will be someone who will engage in behavior you can't control." Wiesner said the diocese removed Valero from his position as soon as it learned of the allegations against him. According to Simons, one of the young women had an ongoing relationship with Valero, who was married with a child at the time. Valero is now divorced, he said. Simons said there's evidence that some employees at St. Catherine's "knew something was wrong" and saw and heard things that should have raised red flags if they'd had proper training to recognize signs of sexual abuse. He said he believes if employees had been properly trained they could have intervened before there was sexual abuse. The Contra Costa County district attorney's office investigated the case but did not find sufficient evidence against Valero to file criminal charges, according to Simons.
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