16 Child Sex Abuse Lawsuits Filed Against Guam Catholic Church

A 16th lawsuit has been filed alleging historical sexual abuse against the Catholic Church in Guam

Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral Basilica in GuamDulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral Basilica in Guam Photo: Copyright: ziggymars / 123RF Stock Photo

The Pacific Daily News reported the latest case was filed on Wednesday by a former altar boy who alleges he was repeatedly molested by former island priest Louis Brouillard in the early 1970s.

Last year, Brouillard, who is now 95 and lives in the US state of Minnesota, publicly admitted that he abused more than 20 boys in the more than 30 years he was on Guam.

In September, the island's governor Eddie Calvo signed into law a bill removing the statue of limitations for lawsuits against child sex abusers and their institutions.

And God bless you for that!

That came after a scandal surrounding the island's former archbishop, Anthony Apuron, who now faces a trial at the Vatican.

Each of the 16 lawsuits filed against the Catholic Church so far require a jury trial and a minimum of US$5 million in damages.

Guam's Catholic Church facing potential

$80m in payouts

Guam's new Catholic Archbishop Michael Jude Byrnes says he's been instructed by the Pope to bring healing and unity to the territory as the church faces legal action for child sex abuse.

The Guam Daily Post reports 16 cases involving accusations of sexual abuse against former Guam clergy have been filed in the district court, each demanding a minimum of $5 million in damages.

Archbishop Byrnes said the church was considering bankruptcy protection and out of court settlements as it was facing $80 million in potential payouts.

He said the clergyman at the centre of the scandal, Archbishop Anthony Apuron, still retained his title and salary.

The Vatican placed Archbishop Apuron on leave last June after former altar boys accused him of sexual abuse in the 1970s.

Guam is a U.S. island territory in Micronesia, in the Western Pacific. It's distinguished by tropical beaches, Chamorro villages and ancient latte-stone pillars. Guam’s WWII significance is on view at the War in the Pacific National Historical Park, whose sites include Asan Beach, a former battlefield. The island’s Spanish colonial heritage is evident in Fort Nuestra Señora de la Soledad, atop a bluff in Umatac.

Population: 165,124 (2013)