Sunday, April 16, 2017

STATEMENT OF WALTER G. DENTON FOR PUBLICATION ON JUNGLEWATCH.INFO

Posted by Tim

The following statement was sent to me via email by Walter Denton on April 14 with his request to publish the statement on JungleWatch.

STATEMENT OF WALTER G. DENTON FOR PUBLICATION ON JUNGLEWATCH.INFO

I call this “My Journey to Justice and Healing for all Victims of Abuse”….

I have waited for a very long time to tell my story of SEXUAL ABUSE. I’ve carried this burden which weighed on me day in and day out throughout my childhood and adulthood life. There were so many times where I would breakdown and cry. I mean it didn’t matter where I was. I could be at work sitting in my office or driving somewhere in my car, I would just breakdown. 

It's painful and it hurts to think about what was taken away from me. I dreamt of being a Catholic Priest serving God our father and the people of Guam. It didn't matter what church I would serve in, what mattered the most was serving God and the people. 


After all the pain and suffering I had endured, I decided to come out and tell my story. I didn't know how to come out and tell my story until I got some advice and guidance from close friends of mine. On October 7, 2015, I sent my letter to Archbishop Krebs of New Zealand who took my letter to the Vatican and turned it over to His Holiness, Pope Francis PP.

A couple of months had passed before I heard from the Vatican or from anyone for that matter. One day I was on my way home and I got a call from Bishop Olmsted of Phoenix, Arizona. He explained to me that he was assigned to contact me and interview me regarding my story of Sexual Abuse. I met with Bishop Olmsted and I told him my story of what Archbishop Apuron had done to me. 

After my meeting with Bishop Olmsted I went back and saw him a few more times. During my last meeting he told me that he had informed the Vatican that my story was very credible and it had to be further investigated. 

Now fast forward to my Press Conference. The day before my Press Conference, on June 6, 2016 the Vatican removed Archbishop Apuron from Guam placing him on administrative leave and Pope Francis implemented a change in the church policy. 

On June 7, 2016   I had a press conference letting the people of Guam and the rest of the world know what Archbishop Apuron had done to me when I was an ALTAR BOY.  That was one of the hardest thing I have ever done publicly. Since then a lot of GOOD has happened on Guam and that’s due to all the hard work that many people have done in support of the victims.

Now since Mrs. Concepcion, Roy Quintanilla, Roland Sonida and I came out and told our story to the world, Archbishop Apuron is currently undergoing a Canonical Trial at the Vatican. I have been contacted by Father Wachs on behalf of Cardinal Burke to give my Testimony before the Tribunal. 

On March 17, 2017 I got the opportunity to meet with Cardinal Burke and his Tribunal which consisted of Father Wachs, the Prosecuting Attorney, and Archbishop Apuron’s Canon Lawyers at the Archbishops residence in San Francisco, CA to give my Testimony against Archbishop Apuron. 

Giving my testimony was another step for me in my healing process. Cardinal Burke and the Tribunal were there to hear my story and of course to ask questions. I spent almost three (3) hours giving my testimony. They didn’t try to trick me with questions or try to get me to say something wrong to use against me. It was nothing like that at all. 

So with that, I thank Cardinal Burke for allowing me to tell my story. Now, I only pray and hope that my testimony will help in the Vatican’s decision to remove Archbishop Apuron as the Archbishop of Guam.  I want to take this opportunity to thank Mrs. Concepcion for stepping forward and proving her testimony to Cardinal Burke and the Tribunal.  

To all the people of Guam, I truly thank you for all your love, support and understanding you have given us victims.  I will continue to fight not just for me but for all the people of Guam for justice and healing.

V/r
Walter G. Denton

Related
PACIFIC DAILY NEWS, April 16, 2017
Apuron accusers meet with Vatican tribunal
A former Agat altar boy and the mother of a now deceased altar boy testified before a Vatican tribunal for the canonical penal trial of Archbishop Anthony S. Apuron, who is accused of raping and sexually abusing four altar boys in the 1970s.

Walter G. Denton, who accused Apuron of raping him during a sleepover at a church rectory when he was 13 in 1977, said he gave his testimony to the Vatican tribunal led by Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke on March 17 at the Archbishop’s Residence in San Francisco, California.
CONTINUED

16 comments:

  1. Thank you Walter and Mrs. Conception for telling your story. I pray for all victims of sexual abuse and hope that healing will truly begin for you all.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. yeah half a million dollars worth!! where do I sign up''Tim'' telling fake stories and some tears :'''( 500,000$$

      Delete
    2. Hey Chickenshit. No one's keeping you from signing up. Give Dave Lujan a call. Just make sure you bring your tears. LOL.

      Delete
    3. Poor anon at 2.15, you are such a pathetic LOOSER!
      Just for your information, while these two individuals came out publicly that they testified in front of the tribunal; they were not the only ones testifying.
      Several victims, who chose not to come out publicly, or in a lawsuit, but had forwarded their account of abuse to the Nuncio, (prior to the story breaking here)also elected to talk to the tribunal.
      These two brave souls are just the tip of a big iceberg.
      The Neos know it, this is why they reach out to O'Malley to build a defense team on Apuron's behalf.
      Your innuendos are just that: vile, despicable,gutter like trash.
      You should go back under the rock, you crawled out from. You are nothing but poor lost soul.

      Delete
  2. Thank you, Walter, for your extraordinary courage. May your deep pain heal and may you find the true peace of Christ.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thank you, Walter....and Mrs. Concepcion, for providing testimony against the Monster. My family and I continue to pray for you and for the many other victims of these horrific acts. Happy Easter to you and your families.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Mary Lou Garcia-PeredaApril 17, 2017 at 9:33 AM

    Thank you and God bless you, Walter, for sharing your experience. It took a tremendous amount of Faith and Courage to testify at the canonical trial before Cardinal Burke. Your action is an answer to my prayers and, I'm sure, that of many others.

    The PDN article states that Mrs. Concepcion also provided testimony while in the hospital. Thank you and may God bless you, Mrs. Concepcion.

    I pray that the courage displayed by Mr. Denton and Mrs. Concepcion will strengthen other victims/survivors of child sexual abuse by Anthony Sablan Apuron to contact Cardinal Burke to provide testimony as well.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I hope the tribunal did a thorough review of both Mr. calvo and Mrs. concepcion's written and verbal statement's made at the legislatures public hearing... contradictory statements on both...who's is telling the truth..

    but tim wont post this because HE know's!!! right timmy...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LOL. If you really believe that then come out publicly with the accusation. Put your name on it. But you won't. LOL>

      Delete
    2. Another dillusional chicken s***. Put a name to your accusation Anon 9:46

      Delete
    3. Anon 9;46 AM Please entertain us and refreshed our memories. what part of their statements are you referring too..

      Delete
    4. More flying crap from anonymous cowards.

      Delete
  6. Thank you Mr. Denton and Mrs. Concepcion. Happy Easter. God bless.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Rose de los Reyes (Seattle, WA)April 18, 2017 at 12:19 AM

    Thank you, Walter, for this open letter in JungleWatch. It is filled with updates that I (and likely many others) longed to hear about your sexual abuse claim against Abp. Apuron and, more importantly, your road to healing. It’s a treat to hear straight from the horse’s mouth! Although accepting that the ultimate decision lies with you and the other sexual abuse plaintiff-survivors, you will recall that in February and March Frenchie, Tim, I and several other anonymous contributors in JungleWatch supported that the survivors meet with Cardinal Burke and the canonical trial investigators to provide live testimony and/or to answer their questions. There was a hesitation to do so by the plaintiffs-survivors, in part, because of the uncertainty of how doing so would affect your claims in civil court. Indeed, that concern is a legitimate concern. As Tim and Frenchie have written, the importance of your courage to ultimately make yourself available live for the canonical investigation is do advance your desire (and the desire of many of Guam’s Faithful) to remove Abp. Apuron from his position of power so he isn’t able to use that power to continue to sexually abuse vulnerable kids and to stop the use that power to wreck administrative havoc in his terrible management of the archdiocese. These are just a couple of reasons why we wished you to avail yourself for live testimony. Another equally important and positive aspect of providing live testimony was the emotional and mental relief that you would experience when you have the opportunity to speak with someone of authority representing “the Church.” I remember news footage of your press conference last summer and the accounts of it in printed news. In reading between the lines, that press conference was your version of “screaming” to be heard, to draw attention to this dark secret of sexual abuse that you’ve carried for decades. I always felt you had the need to talk things out with someone trustworthy and above the authority and out of the clutches of Abp. Apuron who represents the Church. It appears that your in-person participation last month in the canonical investigation may have addressed that need for you. Thank you, thank you, thank you to you and Mrs. Conception for availing yourselves live for the tribunal’s investigation on Abp. Apuron’s canonical trial. We don’t know with certainty at this point how the canonical trial will conclude, but we do know, from your open-letter, that from meeting with the tribunal in-person, you have found a large degree of relief and a step forward in your healing process. I found the latter to be the good news and one in keeping with the gift of hope on Easter morning (how timely indeed was the publication of your letter!). You, Mrs. C and the victims-survivors on Guam are always in my prayers.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I didn't do it? It was done onto me.
    I feel for you brother Walter. I also admire your will to fight to the end. On Sundays, I will continue to join the other's on our peaceful prayer walk in front of the Cathedral. I know it ain't easy for you, to fix what was broken, stole, destroyed and taken away from you by someone else. God bless you and bless the rest of the victims. Si Yuós Maáse!

    ReplyDelete
  9. we will be forever grateful for your courage, walter. thank you and continued prayers for your healing.

    ReplyDelete