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Photos: Guam’s child sex abuse survivors speak out against the clergy

In the overwhelmingly Catholic US territory of Guam, suffered systemic abuse dating from the 1950s to as recently as 2013, wherein members of the clergy abused young boys. But now, the victims are speaking out against their abusers. At least 223 lawsuits have been filed alleging abuse by 35 clergymen, teachers and Boy Scout leaders tied to the Catholic Church. Priests on Guam are now forbidden from being alone with children. A committee is reviewing the claims of sexual assault.

Updated on: Aug 10, 2019 5:33 PM IST

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1/11

A photo of former Archbishop Anthony Apuron lays among discarded items on the floor of the former Accion Hotel which was a seminary but is now vacant and for sale by the Catholic Church, in Yona, Guam. In April the Vatican revealed that Pope Francis had upheld the findings of a secret church trial that found Apuron guilty of sex crimes against children. Anthony Apuron denies the allegations, which are detailed in lawsuits. (David Goldman / AP)

Updated on Aug 10, 2019 5:33 PM

A photo of former Archbishop Anthony Apuron lays among discarded items on the floor of the former Accion Hotel which was a seminary but is now vacant and for sale by the Catholic Church, in Yona, Guam. In April the Vatican revealed that Pope Francis had upheld the findings of a secret church trial that found Apuron guilty of sex crimes against children. Anthony Apuron denies the allegations, which are detailed in lawsuits. (David Goldman / AP)

2/11

Mark Apuron, 45, sits beside a photo of himself when he was 15 years old, the age when he says he was raped by his uncle, former Archbishop Anthony Apuron at the rectory, in Hagatna, Guam. “Everything happened so fast,” he recalls. “But that one second, for me, it never stops.” He never found the right words to tell his parents what happened. “I didn’t think I would be believed,” he said, tearing up. (David Goldman / AP)

Updated on Aug 10, 2019 5:33 PM

Mark Apuron, 45, sits beside a photo of himself when he was 15 years old, the age when he says he was raped by his uncle, former Archbishop Anthony Apuron at the rectory, in Hagatna, Guam. “Everything happened so fast,” he recalls. “But that one second, for me, it never stops.” He never found the right words to tell his parents what happened. “I didn’t think I would be believed,” he said, tearing up. (David Goldman / AP)

3/11

Walter Denton, 55, stands behind a photo of himself when he was about 12 years old, in Hagatna. Denton says he was raped at age 13 by then-Archbishop of Agana, Anthony Apuron. “This whole thing changed my whole life,” said Denton. “He took everything from me. From that day forward my demeanour changed. I break down, I hurt everyday and I still hurt. It’s something that I’ll never get over.” (David Goldman / AP)

Updated on Aug 10, 2019 5:33 PM

Walter Denton, 55, stands behind a photo of himself when he was about 12 years old, in Hagatna. Denton says he was raped at age 13 by then-Archbishop of Agana, Anthony Apuron. “This whole thing changed my whole life,” said Denton. “He took everything from me. From that day forward my demeanour changed. I break down, I hurt everyday and I still hurt. It’s something that I’ll never get over.” (David Goldman / AP)

4/11

Roland Sondia, 57, holds a photo of himself when he was about 15 years old, the age when he says he was sexually abused by then Archbishop of Agana, Anthony Apuron, in Hagatna. “I keep asking myself why me,” said Sondia. “I keep thinking back to what I could have done to make him want to approach me. I did a good job of hiding it. It’s something I’ll take to my grave.” (David Goldman / AP)

Updated on Aug 10, 2019 5:33 PM

Roland Sondia, 57, holds a photo of himself when he was about 15 years old, the age when he says he was sexually abused by then Archbishop of Agana, Anthony Apuron, in Hagatna. “I keep asking myself why me,” said Sondia. “I keep thinking back to what I could have done to make him want to approach me. I did a good job of hiding it. It’s something I’ll take to my grave.” (David Goldman / AP)

5/11

Ramon De Plata, 65, stands behind a photo of himself when he was about 10 years old, the age when he says he walked into Father Antonio Cruz’s bedroom and saw Cruz and his protege, seminarian Anthony Apuron, engaged in sex acts with a boy from his school. “He was calling me to join them,” recounted De Plata. “It really messed me up growing up. I became hostile in school. I didn’t trust my teachers anymore.” (David Goldman / AP)

Updated on Aug 10, 2019 5:33 PM

Ramon De Plata, 65, stands behind a photo of himself when he was about 10 years old, the age when he says he walked into Father Antonio Cruz’s bedroom and saw Cruz and his protege, seminarian Anthony Apuron, engaged in sex acts with a boy from his school. “He was calling me to join them,” recounted De Plata. “It really messed me up growing up. I became hostile in school. I didn’t trust my teachers anymore.” (David Goldman / AP)

6/11

Troy Torres, 38, holds a photo of himself when he was about 12 years old. Torres says in a lawsuit he was sexually molested at age 13 by Ray Caluag, the music and religion teacher at Saint Anthony Catholic School where he attended. “I wanted to say something to stop what I knew was wrong. I didn’t and I was always trapped by that. Every time it happened after that I was trapped by this sense of guilt.” (David Goldman / AP)

Updated on Aug 10, 2019 5:33 PM

Troy Torres, 38, holds a photo of himself when he was about 12 years old. Torres says in a lawsuit he was sexually molested at age 13 by Ray Caluag, the music and religion teacher at Saint Anthony Catholic School where he attended. “I wanted to say something to stop what I knew was wrong. I didn’t and I was always trapped by that. Every time it happened after that I was trapped by this sense of guilt.” (David Goldman / AP)

7/11

A sexual abuse survivor who would only go by the initials C.M.V., 58, sits behind a photo of himself when he was about 11 years old. C.M.V. says in a lawsuit he was sexually molested between the ages of 9 and 13 by Monsignor Jose Ada Leon Guerrero, a priest at the time at Nino Perdido y Sagrada Familia Catholic Church where C.M.V. served as an altar boy. “I try not to think about it,” said C.M.V. (David Goldman / AP)

Updated on Aug 10, 2019 5:33 PM

A sexual abuse survivor who would only go by the initials C.M.V., 58, sits behind a photo of himself when he was about 11 years old. C.M.V. says in a lawsuit he was sexually molested between the ages of 9 and 13 by Monsignor Jose Ada Leon Guerrero, a priest at the time at Nino Perdido y Sagrada Familia Catholic Church where C.M.V. served as an altar boy. “I try not to think about it,” said C.M.V. (David Goldman / AP)

8/11

Anthony Vegafria, 59, sits behind a photo of himself when he was 13 years old, the age when he says in a lawsuit he was sexually abused by Louis Brouillard, a Catholic priest and scoutmaster for the Boy Scouts of America. “Sometimes I don’t really want to think about it,” said Vegafria of the abuse. (David Goldman / AP)

Updated on Aug 10, 2019 5:33 PM

Anthony Vegafria, 59, sits behind a photo of himself when he was 13 years old, the age when he says in a lawsuit he was sexually abused by Louis Brouillard, a Catholic priest and scoutmaster for the Boy Scouts of America. “Sometimes I don’t really want to think about it,” said Vegafria of the abuse. (David Goldman / AP)

9/11

Melvin Duenas, 58, sits beside a photo of himself when he was 11 years old, the age when he says in a lawsuit he was sexual abused by Tomas Camacho and Louis Brouillard, both Catholic priests at the churches where Duenas served as an altar boy. “We were taught that when we see a priest we run over there and kneel down,” said Duenas. “We looked at them as God himself.” (David Goldman / AP)

Updated on Aug 10, 2019 5:33 PM

Melvin Duenas, 58, sits beside a photo of himself when he was 11 years old, the age when he says in a lawsuit he was sexual abused by Tomas Camacho and Louis Brouillard, both Catholic priests at the churches where Duenas served as an altar boy. “We were taught that when we see a priest we run over there and kneel down,” said Duenas. “We looked at them as God himself.” (David Goldman / AP)

10/11

Leo Tudela, 75, looks up at a photo of himself when he was 13 years old, the age when he says in a lawsuit he was sexually abused by Brother Mariano Laniyo while living in a monastery and later by Louis Brouillard, a Catholic priest and scoutmaster for the Boy Scouts of America. “We’re all human beings so there is always forgiveness but this person, I don’t think God will forgive him.” (David Goldman / AP)

Updated on Aug 10, 2019 5:33 PM

Leo Tudela, 75, looks up at a photo of himself when he was 13 years old, the age when he says in a lawsuit he was sexually abused by Brother Mariano Laniyo while living in a monastery and later by Louis Brouillard, a Catholic priest and scoutmaster for the Boy Scouts of America. “We’re all human beings so there is always forgiveness but this person, I don’t think God will forgive him.” (David Goldman / AP)

11/11

Robby Perez, 48, in New Orleans, sits beside a photo of himself when he was 14 years old, the age when he says in a lawsuit he was sexually abused as an altar boy in Guam by David Anderson, a former priest now living in Hawaii. Perez says he endured five years of sexual abuse, never telling anyone. At least 223 lawsuits have been filed alleging abuse by 35 clergymen, teachers and Boy Scout leaders tied to the Catholic Church. (David Goldman / AP)

Updated on Aug 10, 2019 5:33 PM

Robby Perez, 48, in New Orleans, sits beside a photo of himself when he was 14 years old, the age when he says in a lawsuit he was sexually abused as an altar boy in Guam by David Anderson, a former priest now living in Hawaii. Perez says he endured five years of sexual abuse, never telling anyone. At least 223 lawsuits have been filed alleging abuse by 35 clergymen, teachers and Boy Scout leaders tied to the Catholic Church. (David Goldman / AP)

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