Page 2 - AT

A2 UP FRONT
Friday 5 OctOber 2018
California man sues Vatican for names of abusers worldwide

By AMANDA LEE MYERS and crisis of confidence in the
NICOLE WINFIELD U.S. and Vatican leader-
Associated Press ship.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A Priest sex abuse scandals
California man who says he first erupted in the United
was sexually abused by a States and elsewhere more
priest decades ago is suing than 15 years ago.
the Vatican, seeking the Anderson and other law-
release of the names of all yers have tried to sue the
offenders within the church Holy See — the government
worldwide. of the Catholic Church —
Manny Vega, a 52-year-old in U.S. courts before. But
former police officer and the Vatican has successful-
Marine, said Thursday that ly prevented the litigation
he's fighting for the truth for from reaching a verdict in
himself and other victims part by arguing that it's im-
of sex abuse by Catholic mune as a foreign sover-
priests. eign and that priests aren't
"We were raped," Vega employees of the Vatican.
said. "It happened to me, Anderson's last major ef-
it happened to my friends, fort alleging Vatican liabil-
and it happens to children ity for the abuse of a priest
all across the world, and was eventually dismissed in
it continues to happen at federal court in Oregon in
the hands of the Catho- Manuel Vega, who says he was sexually abused by a priest over a five-year period decades ago, 2013.
lic church, whose inaction talks about his lawsuit against the Vatican, seeking the names of all offenders within the church Anderson said the Califor-
continues to damage chil- worldwide, at a news conference in Los Angeles Thursday, Oct. 4, 2018. nia lawsuit differs in several
dren." Associated Press ways, including arguments
Jeffrey Lena, the Vatican's that the Holy See is not im-
U.S. lawyer, declined to va-Flores sexually abused top for children across the ing the Vatican release files mune from the litigation
comment but has previous- Vega between 1979 and globe to truly be safe," said about abusive priests. The because of two exceptions
ly said similar lawsuits are 1984. Silva-Flores was Jeff Anderson, the attorney Vatican in 2001 ordered in the Foreign Sovereign Im-
attempts by some lawyers charged with 25 counts representing Vega and dioceses around the world munities Act.
"to use the judicial process of molestation in 2003, but other victims of priest sex to send all their cases to Still, he acknowledged
as a tool of media rela- the case was dismissed abuse for 35 years. Rome to be reviewed. The there are hurdles.
tions." because of the amount of The lawsuit doesn't seek Vatican has refused to re- "You're taking on a sover-
Vega's lawsuit, filed time that had passed. monetary damages, but lease the documents. eign state, you're taking on
Wednesday in federal Although Vega reached a rather an order for the Vati- The lawsuit comes amid the most powerful institu-
court in California, accuses settlement with the Arch- can to release the names renewed outrage in the tion in western civilization
the Vatican of placing the diocese of Los Angeles in of abusers in what An- U.S. over sex abuse and ... You're taking on an insti-
Rev. Fidencio Silva-Flores in 2007, that doesn't release derson said is more than decades of cover-up by tution that has never been
a position of power at Our the Vatican from responsi- 3,400 credible cases. It also the Catholic hierarchy. A successfully sued," Ander-
Lady of Guadalupe Church bility, the lawsuit says. seeks the names of anyone Pennsylvania grand jury son said. "Because there's
in Oxnard, west of Los An- "We've come to the sor- found guilty of sexual mis- report detailing decades no precedent, anybody
geles, and says it should rowful realization that the conduct to be turned over of abuse, as well as allega- would look at this and say,
have known he posed a problem is at the top and to law enforcement. tions that a prominent U.S. 'It can't be done.' We look
danger to children. with the Vatican, and thus For years, advocates for vic- ex-cardinal was himself an at it and say, 'It must be
The lawsuit alleges that Sil- has to be addressed at the tims have been demand- abuser, have renewed a done.'"q

Utah vet confessed to sending

ricin envelopes, officials say

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A filed Wednesday night in Defense Secretary Jim Mat-
Utah Navy veteran con- a Utah court. He told them tis and the Navy's top offi-
fessed to sending four en- he had purchased castor cer, Adm. John Richardson.
velopes containing the beans and sent the let- Authorities have said the
substance from which ricin ters that had the beans in letters were intercepted
is derived to President Don- them. The documents filed and no one was injured.
ald Trump and members to justify Allen's arrest did Castor beans can cause
of his administration, au- not state a motive. He was injury if swallowed, accord-
thorities said in court docu- being held on a $25,000 ing to the Centers for Dis-
ments. William Clyde Allen cash-only bond. ease Control and Preven-
III, 39, made the confession State investigators working tion says Investigators say
while speaking with investi- with the FBI said the enve- all four letters tested posi-
gators after his arrest at his lopes with ground castor tive for ricin. No attorney
This undated photo released by Davis County Sheriff's Office house in the small city of Lo- beans were mailed last has been listed for Allen.
shows William Clyde Allen III. gan, north of Salt Lake City, week to the president, FBI A federal complaint is ex-
Associated Press
according to documents Director Christopher Wray, pected to be filed Friday.q