New lawsuit filed against Catholic diocese over abuse allegations
LAS CRUCES, N.M. (KRQE) – A new civil lawsuit has been filed against the Catholic Diocese of El Paso and the St. Joseph Parish in Lordsburg alleging the organizations knew that Father Lawrence Gaynor had a “proclivity to sexually abuse children” and that Gaynor groomed and abused an unnamed child in Lordsburg.
The lawsuit, filed in New Mexico’s Third Judicial District Court, claims the abuse happened in the late 1960s and says the unnamed victim has been “suffering in silence for over fifty years.”
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The official facing allegations passed away decades ago, but attorneys representing the victim say the church has an ongoing duty to keep parishioners safe.
“The bottom line is this, the Catholic Church had and continues to have a duty to hire, supervise and retain priests who will not molest, abuse and harm vulnerable parishioners,” Ben Davis, principal at Davis Kelin Law Firm, LLC., said in a press release. “This is about more than the pursuit of compensation. It extends to the important work of increasing transparency, increasing child safety and increasing checks and balances on the Catholic Church as an incredibly important institution in our society.”
In response to the allegations, the Diocese of El Paso released the following statement:
The Diocese of El Paso (“Diocese”) has been made aware of the aforementioned lawsuit involving one claimant for alleged child sexual abuse occurring in the 1960s. The Diocese takes all claims of alleged sexual abuse seriously and will work diligently to cooperate with all parties involved in the lawsuit and ensure that justice is served in the lawsuit.
Historically, the Diocese has worked diligently to implement and train clergy, employees, and volunteers on safe environment practices to ensure the protection of children at parishes and youth programs in the Diocese. All who work in any ministry involving children in the Diocese must attend and be certified in safe environment training as part of the Diocese’s child protection protocols.
We encourage individuals with any knowledge of any crime or misconduct committed by any member of the clergy, employee, or volunteer participating in any ministry within the Diocese to come forward to law enforcement. They can also reach out to the Diocese’s Office of Victim’s Assistance by calling 915-872-8465 for assistance.
Catholic Diocese of El Paso
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This isn’t the first time members of the Catholic church in New Mexico have faced allegations of sexual abuse. In 2017 and 2018, the church turned over lists of names of priests who had been credibly accused of sexual abuse in New Mexico. Those names were turned over to the Office of the New Mexico Attorney General, which was later renamed to the New Mexico Department of Justice.
“While we do not have any current referrals into sexual abuse by a priest in New Mexico, it’s crucial to acknowledge that vulnerable victims may still be suffering in silence,” the attorney general’s office said in a statement. “We always encourage the community to reach out to their local police department if they are a victim of any crime. The New Mexico Department of Justice continues to stand ready to assist with investigations and prosecute those who put our communities in harm’s way, particularly those who prey on vulnerable victims.”
