Two more alleged sexual abuse victims of Monterey priest to file lawsuits
UPDATED 10/14/19 10:30 p.m.: Two men claim they were fondled and sexually abused as children
by a priest with the Diocese of Monterey. They claim the diocese knew about the abuse, but failed to act. Now, they’re planning to take the diocese to court.
The disturbing sexual abuse allegations surfaced Monday against former priest William Allison. The two men, who wish to remain anonymous, claim the incidents date back to the late 1960s while they were students at San Carlos School. The school is right across the street from the diocese building.
“Father allison would have them over and give them gifts and play with them,” said Attorney Joe C. George.
According to the lawsuit, the victims were just nine and 10-years-old and spent the night with Allison. He died back in 1987 but the survivors, who are now in their 60s, plan to take the diocese to court.
They plan to file a lawsuit with the Monterey County Superior Court Tuesday for failure to report childhood sexual abuse and negligent supervision and retention of an employee.
“They knew about him and yet moved him from diocese to diocese, from state to state,” said Geroge.
According to a letter from 1963 given to KION by the attorneys, a priest in Arizona warned a Los Angeles priest about Allison after three victims came forward. The priest writing, “this man needs help, but in my opinion the place is not in a parish.”
The two men have been unable to file a case due to statute of limitations, but a new bill signed into law by Governor Newsom changes that. No time limitation until 2023 for allegations of sexual assault.
But the law is receiving push back from the California School Boards Association.
Spokesperson Troy Flint told the Associated Press, while they don’t want to minimize the trauma of sexual misconduct, the bill “has a very real chance of bankrupting or impoverishing many districts which would inhibit our ability to properly serve today’s students and students in years to come.”
The Diocese of Monterey tells us they are not commenting on this lawsuit.
According to a list provided in January by the diocese, Allison was credibly accused of abuse incident, but they weren’t reported until 2003, long after his death.
ORIGINAL STORY:
Two more people are filing lawsuits against the Diocese of Monterey, claiming to be victims of child sexual abuse.
A lawyer for the alleged victims said they will be filing the lawsuit Tuesday. The two men said they were students at the San Carlos Catholic School in Monterey in 1968 and 1966 when Father William G. Allison sexually abused them. Maricar Pascual with the Law Offices of Joseph C. George, PhD. said the diocese knew that Allison had sexually abused children in 1963, before the two coming forward now were allegedly abused.
Pascual said the two are able to file the lawsuit now because of a new state law that gives victims who were once subject to the statute of limitations a chance to file a civil lawsuit. The law, Assembly Bill 218, was passed Oct. 13.
The law gives victims of childhood sexual abuse until age 40, or five years from discovery of the abuse, to file civil lawsuits. The previous limit had been 26, or within three years from discovery of the abuse.
It also suspends the statute of limitations for three years — beginning Jan. 1 — giving victims of all ages time to bring lawsuits if they wish.
Earlier in 2019, the Diocese of Monterey released a report of credible allegations against clergy, and Allison was on the list. He was categorized as a clergyman already released or in the public domain who was working in the name of the diocese when the alleged abuse happened.
Allison died in December 1987.
KION and AP 2019
