WHAT
At a news conference, two of the world's most powerful Catholic Cardinals will be harshly criticized for their increasingly well-documented role in deliberately transferring a pedophile priest across national boundaries to help him evade criminal prosecution. Thirty pages of previously undisclosed police records will be revealed and discussed along with a new child molestation lawsuit charging that top church officials deliberately transferring a serial predator priest across national boundaries to evade criminal prosecution
WHEN
Thursday, Nov. 16, 11:00 a.m.
WHERE
In the Omni Hotel, 251 S. Olive Street, in downtown Los Angeles
WHO
A Mexican sex abuse victim in his 20s, perhaps relatives of another victim, a Minnesota attorney, and several clergy sex victims who belong to a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org)
WHY
In 1997, Fr. Nicholas Aguilar Rivera raped several boys in Mexico, years after Los Angeles and Mexican Catholic church officials had first been notified of and kept quiet about his other child sex crimes. That same year, four of Aguilar's victims reported the crimes to Mexican police, yet still the priest walks free. One of the four, now 22, is filing a new child molestation lawsuit today in LA. It names LA Cardinal Roger Mahony and Mexico City Cardinal Norberto Rivera (a recent contender for pope) as defendants.
Attorneys for the victim have also discovered new police records that further prove a long pattern of concealment of Aguilar's crimes by Mahony and Rivera.
Also speaking at the news conference will be Joaquin Aguilar Mendez, another Aguilar victim who filed a similar lawsuit last month. Mendez, whose family has endured threats and harassment since he came forward, heads the Mexico City chapter of SNAP.
In 1987, Aguilar worked at two LA parishes: Our Lady of Guadelupe and St. Agatha's parish. Police report that he assaulted at least 26 boys in nine months. When LA Auxiliary Bishop Thomas Curry told Aguilar that several families had reported his crimes, Aguilar admitted he would flee to his native Mexico, but Curry kept this secret, "facilitating his flight," according to an LA prosecutor.
In 2003, a Mexico judge declared Aguilar guilty of sexual abuse but Aguilar was freed on bail and later deemed too old to be jailed for the crime.
A copy of the new lawsuit, in Spanish and English, will be available around noon (Pacific time) at AndersonAdvocates.com and SNAPnetwork.org
SNAP is the nation's largest and oldest self-help group for clergy molestation victims in any denomination. The organization's mission is to heal the wounded and protect the vulnerable. It has 7,000 members in 65 chapters across the country.
CONTACT
Eric Barragan of Ventura County CA, SNAP Mexico Director, 805 207 7424
Attorney Jeff Anderson of St. Paul MN, 651 227 9990, 612 817 8665 cell
David Clohessy of St. Louis MO, SNAP national director, 314 566 9790 cell
Mary Grant of Long Beach CA, SNAP western regional director, 626 419 2930 cell
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