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American Morning

Woman Claims Abuse By Catholic Priest

Aired April 02, 2002 - 09:44   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Now we are going to move on to the story of another big settlement in a church sex abuse case. Most of that case -- most of the cases so far that have shaken the Catholic Church have focused on the abuse of young boys. But now comes the story of a woman who claims she was abused and impregnated by a priest when she was a teenager. Roman-Catholic Diocese of Orange County and the Los Angeles Diocese said today they will pay a $1.2 million settlement in the case.

Frank Buckley has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Lori Haigh emerged as the latest person to accuse Catholic priests of sexual abuse.

LORI HAIGH, ABUSE VICTIM: I'm here today to tell my story of how I was sexually assaulted by my Catholic priest.

BUCKLEY: Haigh, now a 37-year-old married mother of two, says the alleged abuse came at the hands of Father John Lenihan, beginning when Haigh was 14 years old. Haigh saying she eventually became pregnant by the priest, whom she claims insisted she terminate the pregnancy.

HAIGH: I have never been able to reconcile the fact that the priest who preached on subjects like abortion is a mortal sin, was the one who told me to have an abortion.

BUCKLEY: Haigh came forward after a series of columns in the "Los Angeles Times" in which a "Father X" confessed to one sexual relationship with a teenager, and additional relationships with female adults. Mary Grant says she was the unnamed teenager in the articles. Lenihan continuing to work as a priest for more than 20 years after her case was first brought to the attention of church officials.

MARY GRANT, ABUSE VICTIM: The diocese knew about my abuse since 1978, and still allowed him have access to prey on more children.

BUCKLEY: Church officials say Lenihan was permitted to continue in his duties, most recently at this church in Dana Point, California, after mental health experts said he didn't pose a threat. But after the newspaper articles revealed additional cases, he was taken out of the ministry.

JAIME SOTO, BISHOP, DIOCESE OF ORANGE COUNTY: He's not only betrayed the trust of the victims that he has abused, but he's also betrayed the trust of the bishops and the priests who worked with him.

BUCKLEY: Haigh also leveled allegations against two other priests whom she said ignored her attempts as a teenager to report the abuse. One, this man, now Monsignor Lawrence Baird, whom Haigh claims also inappropriately touched and kissed her when she told him. Baird says that he's never met Haigh, who watched as the church official also announced plans for legal action of his own.

LAWRENCE BAIRD, MONSIGNOR, DIOCESE OF ORANGE COUNTY: If this charge is not quickly retracted, I plan to sue for defamation of character.

HAIGH: I can't believe it. This whole time, I was really expecting an apology. Up to this moment, I was expecting an apology.

BUCKLEY: The diocese says it found no evidence to substantiate the allegation against Monsignor Baird, but Haigh filed reports on her allegations against Baird and Lenihan with a sheriff's deputy on Monday. Prosecutors will have up to a year to determine if criminal charges are warranted. Lenihan's attorney did not return CNN's phone calls.

(on camera): Orange Diocese officials say Father Lenihan has agreed to leave the priesthood, and steps are being taken to institute stronger policies and reporting mechanisms for handling future allegations of sexual misconduct. To make sure the church is, as one official statement put it, a place where people come to be healed, not hurt.

Frank Buckley, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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