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Church in
Crisis Abuse revelations hit Los Angeles church
By ARTHUR JONES
Los Angeles
Clerical sex abuse is apparently about to cost the Los Angeles
archdiocese dearly in payouts, legal expenses and appalling publicity. The
Los Angeles Times reported Aug.18 that the archdiocese is facing a
multi-million dollar class action sex abuse lawsuit and the indictments of
possibly as many as 15 current and former priests on felony sex abuse
charges.
In a 20,000-word report resulting from more than 100 interviews to
which the Times assigned three writers and two researchers, the
newspaper account listed the local churchs evasions and errors, including
the allegation that since 1985
the archdiocese
worked to
keep a growing problem from the eyes of the public and out of the hands of the
law.
The paper then listed the names (often with photographs) of
at least 33 priests and one deacon who allegedly sexually abused
boys, young men or girls in the 17 years since Cardinal Roger Mahony became
archbishop.
One of the cases, that of Fr. Michael Stephen Baker, has the
potential of creating local financial and image problems for Mahony approaching
the disastrous level faced by Cardinal Bernard Law and the Boston archdiocese
for transfers of known abusive priests.
In the Baker case, the priest himself allegedly told Mahony he had
abused some boys, but Mahony did not remove him (see accompanying story).
Throughout the almost four-page article the cardinal was
periodically quoted defending or explaining his or the archdioceses
actions or inaction. But of the Baker case, Mahony told the Times,
I have to be honest with you. There is absolutely nothing good about the
Baker case. Just absolutely nothing.
The Times reporting, by Glenn F. Bunting, Ralph Frammolino
and Richard Winton, is punctuated with accounts of Mahony failing to dismiss or
take other action against accused priests. He allowed two priests, already
convicted of sex offences, to continue to reside on church property and did not
dismiss them until last February, said the Times.
The Times further alleged that the archdiocese
routinely failed to report errant priests to authorities until a
1997 California law compelled disclosure. The newspaper said that
language requiring the removal of a priest found to have molested a minor was
not added to archdiocesan policy until last February. Mahony was forced
to adopt a zero tolerance policy as part of a $5.2 million
settlement that the archdiocese and the diocese of Orange negotiated last year
with one abuse victim, Ryan DiMaria, the Times reported.
Seven priests were allegedly removed as a result. Out-of-court
settlements in various parts of the archdiocese have totaled $9.2 million in
the past 18 months, $3.7 million borne by the archdiocese itself, stated the
Times.
Of the 33 priests accused since 1985, five fled abroad, one
disappeared. Two of those six priests are fugitives, the Times
reported.
The Los Angeles Times listed the following men and
incidents:
Seven priests were removed from office: Gerald B.
Fessard, 56 (in 1987 pleaded no contest to soliciting lewd acts; served 36
months probation); Roderic Guerrini, 70 (denies allegations being pursued by
Los Angeles Police Department of sexual misconduct with two teenage girls in
the 1970s); James F. OGrady (police are investigating the claim that
OGrady, retired in Ireland, molested altar girls); G. Neville Rucker, 81
(police are investigating two accusations of molestation involving six girls);
Carl Sutphin, 70 (Los Angeles police and Ventura County sheriffs are
investigating allegations of abuse of two pairs of brothers); Michael Wempe, 62
(police are investigating allegations he abused three boys); John Wishard, 70
(pleaded no contest in 1980 to felony oral copulation charge involving a
boy, sentenced to probation, conviction later dismissed).
Six priests who served in the archdiocese were
accused of abuse and later fled: Lynn Caffoe, 56 (whereabouts
unknown, the Catholic high school counselor was accused of abuse by a
student); Tilak Jayawardene, 58 (police are seeking his extradition from Sri
Lanka on charges of oral copulation with a boy); Patrick Kelly, 71 (pleaded no
contest from Ireland to charges of fondling a young girl, promised to
return to Los Angeles but did not; received three years probation);
Nicolas Agullar Rivera, 60 (police still investigating after Rivera
went to Mexico City following allegations that he sexually abused altar
boys; charges were dismissed in Mexico); Arulappan Savrianandam, 56
(accused of sexual touching by a teenage girl, he returned to India); Santiago
Tamayo (fled to Philippines, after accusations of having sex with
underage girl in 1970, later apologized to victim; died in 1996).
Three priests have been convicted: Richard Allen
Henry, 49 (eight years, 1993, pleaded no contest to sex acts with four children
in one family; is not a registered sex offender); John Anthony Salazar, 53 (six
years, 1988, admitted abusing two boys; is now a registered sex offender);
Deacon Arturo Ahumada, 46 (sentenced to one year in county jail, June
2002, provided pornographic material to two boys and committed sexual
battery of a third).
Charges were dismissed against one priest because
the case was not filed within the period allowed by the statute of limitations:
Theodore Llanos (38 counts of sexual abuse of minors, filed in
1995; charges dismissed in 1996; committed suicide in 1997).
Seventeen priests are under investigation: Michael
S. Baker (see accompanying story); Matthias Berumen, 41 (out of ministry,
district attorney is investigating a 25-year-old males accusations of
abuse in 1980s); Honesto Bismonte, 72 (on leave, pleaded not guilty to four
counts of lewd acts with teenage girls); Patrick Cotter, 70 (retired, police
are investigating a teenage girls accusation of molestation about a
decade ago); John Dawson, 61 (out of ministry, removed in 1992 after
allegations of molestation; police investigating other charges); Walter
Fernando, 58 (denies allegations he fondled a teenage girl in the 1980s, police
are investigating; he is on inactive leave); David Granadino, 46 (denies
allegation of molesting a teenage boy, Los Angeles County sheriff is
investigating; Granadino is on inactive leave); Stephen Hernandez, 68 (denies
accusations of repeatedly fondling an incarcerated juvenile; Los Angeles Police
Department is investigating, on inactive leave).
Philip Kavanaugh, 56 (police are investigating accusations he
molested a teenager in 1970s; he is on inactive leave); Christopher Kearney, 59
(accusations of molestations during impromptu wrestling matches with Catholic
high school boys; he is on inactive leave); George Miller, 64 (denies
allegations he molested boys in 1970s and 1980s, police are investigating; he
is retired); Joseph Pina, 56 (accused of sexual abuse of 14-year-old-girl);
Dominic Savino, 63 (accused of molesting minors, he is on inactive leave); John
Santillan, 63 (denies allegation he sexually abused an altar boy in 1970s,
police are investigating; he is now in Bolivia); Fidencio Silva, 54 (denies
allegations of sexual abuse of boys; victims are suing the archdiocese and
Silva; he resides in Mexico); Carl Tresler, 37 (investigation is proceeding
into allegations he abused a 15-year-old boy; he was removed from ministry in
Los Angeles; now serving as priest in Peru); Christian Van Llefde, 53 (police
are investigating charges of abuse of a minor in 1974; now on inactive
leave).
Arthur Jones is NCR editor at large. His e-mail address
is ajones96@aol.com
National Catholic Reporter, August 30,
2002
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