NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – Several new lawsuits have been filed against multiple Catholic Churches claiming sexual abuse by priests from Southern New Mexico parishes. Eight lawsuits were filed two weeks ago, naming the Roman Catholic Diocese of Las Cruces, the Diocese of El Paso, and multiple other parishes.
Anonymous victims’ ages ranged from three to 15 years old. The two priests named in the complaints are Bernard Bissonnette and David Holley. One lawsuit says Holley sexually abused the male victim in the late 70s when he was just 10 years old. It further claims that Holley used alcohol to coerce him to perform sexual acts.
Santa Fe Archdiocese sets up plaque dedicated to clergy sex abuse victims
This comes almost a year after the Archdiocese of Santa Fe dedicated a plaque to remember victims of clergy abuse. “Just expressing sorrow and then walking away doesn’t do much. I think it’s important that we put that regret, that sorrow, into practice. That we have a firm purpose of amendment, as we say, and that we do our very, very best to make sure it never happens again. I’m deeply committed to it and I know our staff is committed to it,” said John C. Wester, Archbishop of Santa Fe, back in September.
The new lawsuits were filed less than three months after the installation of Pope Leo XIV, who works to foster a culture that does not tolerate abuse.
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