The downtown San Diego superior court docket. Photo through Chris Stone
a man who alleges a former Catholic priest time and again molested him when he changed into a younger boy, then continued to be energetic at parishes within the Diocese of San Diego for a long time, pointed out Tuesday he determined to file a lawsuit to protect little ones.
Beau Potter, now fifty four years old, alleges Father Ramon Marrufo molested him in Rialto over the direction of a few years within the 1970s, beginning when the plaintiff become in second grade. In advance of 1978, the Diocese of San Diego stretched into parts of San Bernardino and Riverside counties.
Marrufo became ordained in 1976 and turned into assigned to a lot of locations throughout San Diego County, including churches in San Diego, Oceanside, Chula Vista, Vista, Fallbrook and Escondido, in accordance with the lawsuit, which alleges his most contemporary project become at St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Parish and college in Fallbrook from 2010 except 2019.
Potter’s lawsuit names the Diocese of San Diego as a defendant along with the Diocese of San Bernardino and two San Bernardino County faculties, the place he alleges he changed into sexually abused by Marrufo and later by using yet another priest.
The complaint filed in San Diego sophisticated court docket does not point out incidents of abuse at parishes in San Diego County, though Potter and his attorneys allege the Diocese was privy to allegations in opposition t Marrufo for more than a year and unnoticed to inform the faculties and parishes where he changed into assigned.
Potter’s attorneys allege a separate victim introduced forth allegations concerning Marrufo to the Diocese and acquired a settlement via its unbiased Compensation software, which was centered in 2019 for victims who have been sexually abused as minors by way of San Diego diocesan priests.
A Diocese spokesman mentioned he couldn’t touch upon the selected allegations outlined within the lawsuit as the Diocese has now not yet been served with the suit, however did ascertain a settlement turned into reached with an alleged victim of Marrufo’s throughout the independent Compensation application.
Michael Reck, one in every of Potter’s attorneys, referred to, “The possibility of an accused newborn intercourse abuser being in charge of toddlers as recently as 2019 is a public protection nightmare. The shortcoming of action from church leadership for the last 12 months shatters any closing phantasm of ethically-sound leadership.”
In a information convention asserting the lawsuit, Potter referred to he selected to file the swimsuit beneath his true name instead of a John Doe alias, as is usual for alleged victims of sexual abuse, because “it’s vital my identify gets available, since it’s important the perpetrators know the ache they led to me…”
“I don’t want any further little ones being hurt and to suffer from the pain and ache that I suffered via in my young lifestyles and into adulthood,” he pointed out. “here is some thing that will also be stopped and it needs to cease with these bishops calling out these clergymen.”
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