An attorney for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints says a new claim filed Friday alleging that various LDS leaders have conspired to conceal the sexual abuse of three children in the Bisbee stake several years ago is totally unfounded.
“The abuse that occurred was tragic, but the scurrilous attack against the Church by Plaintiffs’ counsel is both inaccurate and unwarranted,” Church attorney Bill Maledon told Arizona Daily Independent. “There simply is no truth to the claims made by Plaintiff’s counsel against the Church.”
According to the motion filed by attorney Lynne Cadigan, the LDS Church “maintains a pattern and practice of concealing abuse from authorities” by having its leaders consult with a Church attorney before getting involved in any civil or criminal matter related to a member.
“This policy of gatekeeping encourages potential unlawful conduct among Church members, says Cadigan, one of the attorneys for three children physically and sexually abused by Paul Douglas Adams.
Adams’ criminal activities came to the attention of authorities in early 2017 when Interpol helped trace a lengthy video of a young girl being abused in the Adams’ home in Bisbee. He committed suicide in December 2017 at a federal pretrial detention facility; his wife Leizza served a short prison term for child abuse for her role in not protecting the children from harm.
Church officials previously acknowledged Adams disclosed his criminal activities against the girl in the video when he took part in counseling sessions with a bishop of the Bisbee stake in 2009. The next bishop was also aware of the ongoing abuse, court records show. Adams was later excommunicated.
Police were not notified by the bishops due to a longstanding church policy toward the sanctity of such admissions or confessions. Arizona law also provides a “confessional” exception to the mandatory reporting of such information.
What type of confession is covered has been hotly debated ever since Adams, a U.S. Border Patrol agent, was arrested. Driving that discussion is the fact one of the victims was an infant when sexually abused a few years after Adams’ first confession to a bishop.
But Cadigan contends there was a conspiracy among Church members intent on minimizing the Church’s liability at the detriment of Adams’ victims. On Friday, she asked Judge Laura Cardinal for permission to amend the children’s lawsuit to add one count of civil conspiracy.
“Plaintiffs are entitled to explore this culture of concealment to determine if it does, in fact, support allegations of civil conspiracy,” Cadigan stated in the motion. A hearing will likely be held on the issue next month.
Maledon has previously argued in court that Cadigan is looking to place blame for the abuse suffered by the children on the wrong people. The blame belongs squarely on Paul Adams and his wife Leizza, and no one else, he contends. And Maledon said Friday there was certainly no conspiracy among any Church leaders related to Adams’ activities.
“The assertions against The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints contained in the motion filed today by Plaintiffs’ counsel are baseless and totally unfounded,” Maledon said.