July 28, 2016

TESTIMONY OF WALTER DENTON

!
Today is a momentous day for the victims of Child Sexual
Abuse, along with our family members and friends who
are here to testify, imploring our esteemed Senators to
pass this amended bill that will lift the Statue of
Limitations so that abusers such as Archbishop Anthony
Sablan Apuron can rightfully account for the crimes they
committed.
By lifting the statute of limitations, you will allow me
and all those who have been RAPED, MOLESTED, and
SEXUALLY ABUSED to feel confident that justice will be
served! I have been struggling and suffering since my
childhood, through my entire adult life, trying to cope
with what happened to me. There isn't a day that I don't
think about what Archbishop Apuron had done to me on
the evening of April 15, 1977. I have tried to tell
someone of what happened to me who I thought would
help me. I was disappointed, shocked and most
importantly, I felt defeated at his response. I felt
patronized and ignored for too long. Even when I had the
opportunity to face my abuser, he did nothing to help me
in any way, but instead gave me his CD, a picture of
himself and a picture of Mother Mary as a parting gift.

However, that did not keep me from getting back up,

dust myself off, lift and hold my head up high, and kept
trying all over again to simply get through each day. I
have made this a life-long goal that I would someday tell
my horrific experience to someone or anyone who would
stop and listen to my story of how I was raped by the
Archbishop of Guam when I was 13 years old. I wanted to
expose him and his devilish and heinous acts of sex abuse
against the Altar Boys of Agat to the Vatican. He raped
me. I wanted him to admit what he had done to me as
well as to the other victims that are here today. I want to
face him in the Court of Law and ask him, Why did you
do this to me?
He needs to face his accusers and answer to the victims
of his crimes. He should be stripped of everything that
means anything to him. God knows he stripped me of my
dreams and took away what meant everything to me. I
have struggled with this nightmare for over 38 years.
There has not been a single day that went by of how I
felt when he pinned me down onto his bed and raped
me.
Since coming out on June 7, 2016 I have not been
contacted by anyone from the Archdiocese of Guam. No
one has even attempted to contact me. Monsignor Bibi
Arroyo went on KUAM and stated that they have reached
out to the victims to offer help. That is not true. To this

very moment where I sit today, NO ONE has ever reached

out to me, although I now understand from the media
yesterday that Archbishop Hon now wants to meet us. It
makes me shake my head to wonder why after 7 weeks
that he has been here, he finally said he wants to meet
us.
Remember that after I came forward on June 7, 2016, my
wife and I decided that later that week, a Sunday, June
12, 2016, we were going to join the picketers at the
Cathedral as we made our way to the airport for a noon
departure. I was at the steps of the Cathedral when
Archbishop Hon and his assistant came out and stood not
more than 10 feet away. I attempted to get his attention
with his assistant and even told him I was one of the
victims. I just wanted to say hi, to be acknowledged. His
response was essentially this: dont call us; well call
you. My wife and I left disgusted as to how I was treated.
It was no better than what Archbishop Apuron did to me
in Tacoma.
Since then, Roland came forward, a lawsuit was filed,
and the protest grew in scope, volume, and size. That
was 7 weeks ago. It is obvious that the only language
abusers and the institutions that cover and protect them
is a lawsuit. I strongly believe that Archbishop Hon would
not have acknowledged us yesterday if we had not filed a
defamation lawsuit against Archbishop Apuron and the

Church. This is why this bill is critical for victims such as

us and others who are too afraid to come out because of
the treatment they will get. This bill will give these
victims who are too afraid to come forward something to
hang on to, and to punish institutions for hiding and
protecting abusers employed by them. It will give us
justice and the ability to bring closure in our lives.
This past Sunday I had to opportunity to walk with the
protesters to show support and to show that we want
Archbishop Apron to be defrocked. I will continue to
come out here to our beautiful island to stand with the
people of Guam demanding a change. In fact, my wife
and I have already decided to come back soon and retire
here.
The signs we see out here on the street light poles read,
protect the fish and protect the plants. We should add
one more phrase and post it throughout the island. It
should read, Protect our fish, Protect our plants, and
Protect our Children.
May God bless you all. Thank you very much.

!
Walter Denton