A now adult male, whose identity has remained protected as John Doe, in a sexual abuse lawsuit against the El Paso Catholic Diocese and Jesuit Society that stemmed from abuse that allegedly occurred in the 1970's, has settled his suit, as reported by the El Paso Times.
According to Doe's attorney, Lori Watson, "The plaintiff was 8 to 12 years old when he was sexually abused by Father (A.M.) when (A.M.) was assigned to Sacred Heart Church and school in the El Paso Diocese. Not unlike many victims, the plaintiff had repressed the memory of the abuse for many years, due to the trauma associated with the abuse." The suit, filed in 2011, stated that, due to the alleged abuse, Doe had suffered serious psychological problems.
Watson had alleged that A.M., a sexual predator that targeted young children, was never removed from his positions or reported to the police. Instead, according to Watson, A.M. was transferred to different churches while church officials covered up the incidents. The terms of the settlement have not be publicly disclosed.
A.M., a Jesuit priest, passed away in 1982. The suit states that from 1970 to 1982 he worked at Sacred Heart in South El Paso and from 1966 to 1970 at Our Lady of Guadalupe in the Archdiocese of San Antonio.
According to Watson, A.M. kissed and petted a young child in the San Antonio church during his time there. He was then transferred to San Felipe Church in Albuquerque before his death.
The suit had been filed in the 327th District Court in El Paso. Defendants were named as the El Paso Catholic Diocese and the Jesuits of the New Orleans Province. Once the suit was filed, officials from the El Paso Diocese said that Sacred Heart Church was owned by them but was staffed by the Jesuits. Rev. A.C. commented, "The diocese (did) not receive any complaint of this nature against him before."
Doe was 49 at the time he filed the lawsuit but in third grade when he became A.M.'s altar boy, after A.M. persuaded his parents to allow him to serve as the boy's mentor. During this time Doe was sexually molested by A.M. in the church, in vehicles and in the boy's home.
The suit stated, "Beginning well before the molestation of Doe, however, (A.M.) demonstrated clear signs of mental problems, including 'illusions,' 'hallucinations,' problems with alcohol and sexually acting out with a 9-year-old boy in the San Antonio Archdiocese. Despite these red flags, he was assigned by his Jesuit superiors and accepted by diocesan bishops to work in parishes and schools in Mexico, New Orleans, Albuquerque, San Antonio and El Paso."
Doe's lawyers were provided with documentation by church officials of A.M.'s behavior, which showed "that by 1960 (A.M.) was requesting a transfer to New Orleans from a Jesuit high school in Mexico because of the perceived hatred directed at him there."
Whether abused by a priest recently or decades ago, contact a personal injury lawyer to discuss your case and file your lawsuit right away!