Date: Fri 10-Apr-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: CURT

Quick Words:

church-diocese-AP

Full Text:

Diocese Penalized $31,195 For Withholding Evidence

BRIDGEPORT (AP) -- The Roman Catholic Diocese, which lost a $750,000

sexual-abuse lawsuit last year, must pay an additional $31,195 for withholding

evidence about the priest accused of molesting the Milwaukee man who filed the

suit, a federal magistrate ruled.

US Magistrate Judge Thomas P. Smith ruled the Bridgeport Diocese failed to

tell Frank Martinelli, who claimed to have been abused as a teen-ager by the

Rev. Laurence Brett, that it had settled two similar claims against the

priest.

Smith imposed the extra sanctions because he said the diocese violated his

order to share all documents relating to Brett.

A civil jury in August found the diocese had breached its duty to parishioners

when it failed to investigate claims of sexual abuse and awarded Martinelli

$750,000.

Martinelli, 50, claimed Brett molested him at St Cecilia's Church in Stamford

when he was 15 and 16.

The diocese did not dispute Martinelli's allegation that he was molested by

Brett. But diocesan officials said they did not know about the abuse until

Martinelli filed his lawsuit in 1993 and argued that the diocese could not be

held responsible for the priest's actions.

The magistrate ruled Tuesday.