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The Archbishop of Agaña, (Guam) Anthony Apuron, has retained an attorney to warn an accuser to stop ruining his name.
“This letter serves as a demand to you to immediately cease and desist from making any further defamatory comments or publications against Archbishop Apuron’s reputation and character,” wrote Michelle R. Neal, a Sacramento, Calif., attorney whose expertise includes sexual harassment claim prevention and investigations.
“Your conduct has caused and continues to cause grave harm not only to Archbishop Apuron and the church in Guam, but also to the universal church.”
The accuser, John C. Toves, a native of Guam who lives in California, said he won’t stop publicly questioning Apuron because he believes he’s saving the church by calling for a change in leadership.
No victim has come forward publicly since Toves made the public allegation. Toves said his relative and former co-seminarian remains anguished and doesn’t wish to come forward.
The Attorney told Toves that if Toves doesn’t comply with the letter’s demand that Toves cease spreading “patently false” statements against the archbishop, Apuron will have to pursue all available legal remedies.
“Your liability and exposure under such legal action will be considerable,” the archbishop’s attorney wrote.
In December, Deacon Larry Claros, the archdiocese’s sexual abuse response coordinator at the time, said that archbishop Aupron is innocent — “for sure” — and that the archdiocese has determined no investigation was necessary.
Claros gave a public statement after Toves went to the archdiocese to try to confront the archbishop.
Last November SNAP or the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests said claims that Archbishop Anthony Apuron molested boys are just rumors.
Western Regional Director Joelle Casteix says she’s heard these rumors herself when she visited Guam, but no alleged victim has ever come forward.
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News category: Asia Pacific.
