Alleged Catholic School Sex Abuse Victim Sues Legion of Christ

By Robert Storace
Connecticut Law Tribune
August 17, 2017

http://www.ctlawtribune.com/id=1202795845291/Alleged-Catholic-School-Sex-Abuse-Victim-Sues-Legion-of-Christ?slreturn=20170718001616

A 48-year-old California man allegedly raped as a teenager by an employee at the Connecticut-based Legion of Christ has filed a federal lawsuit seeking millions of dollars in damages.

The lawsuit, filed Thursday in U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut, claims the victim identified only as John Doe was first sexually assaulted at the now-defunct Immaculate Conception Apostolic School in New Hampshire when he was 13 years old. The teenager was allegedly raped every two to three weeks for about three and half years at the Roman Catholic boarding school for boys grades 7-12.

Cheshire-based Legion of Christ oversaw the school.

It's alleged that a man known as Brother Fernando Cutanda abused John Doe and another boy at the school, and that officials did nothing to stop it, according to the lawsuit. John Doe claims he told Father Patrick O'Carroll about the alleged abuse during confession, he was told to pray "five rosaries for his sins, gave him penance and said 'God will take care of things.'"

Jeffrey Herman, one of John Doe's three attorneys, said his client "is strong, but deeply damaged. He thought it was time to come forward."

Herman said Cutanda allegedly "groomed" the boy for sex. Herman said he does not know where Cutanda is today.