Ex-isle altar boy
alleges sex abuseA former server in Kaimuki
says the abuse by clergy
occurred 25 years ago
A former Kaimuki altar boy filed suit against two members of a Catholic order, claiming sexual and physical abuse yesterday in Circuit Court.
One of the defendants, Rev. Joseph Bukoski, has been named in another sexual abuse lawsuit and was the only Hawaii priest to be removed from duties last year in the clergy sex-abuse scandal that has led to the dismissal of hundreds of Catholic priests throughout the country.
Yesterday's lawsuit alleges that Bukoski and Brother Dominic Stone, both of the Congregation of Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, abused the plaintiff, identified as Albert C.S.K. Han, on separate occasions 25 years ago.
Han, 36, was 11 when the alleged abuses started, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit states that in 1977, Han was an altar boy and member of St. Patrick's Church in Kaimuki when he was "enticed" by Stone into the rectory, where Stone sexually assaulted him.
The lawsuit then alleges that from 1977 to 1978, Stone victimized Han with sexual acts including sodomy, all of which took place at St. Patrick's church.
The lawsuit states that in 1978, Bukoski propositioned Han for oral sex during a car trip from Sandy Beach to St. Patrick's and grabbed Han's genitals.
Han allegedly refused Bukoski's advances and said that during a flag football game at St. Patrick's, Bukoski hit him "hard on the field, causing him to fall down and bruise."
Members of the Sacred Hearts order, including Stone and Bukoski, could not be reached for comment yesterday.
Rev. Gary Secor, head of the Honolulu Diocesan Office of Clergy and chairman of the Standing Committee on Sexual Misconduct, said he could not comment about Stone, but that the committee had reviewed two allegations against Bukoski and found that both of them were credible.
A 42-year-old Aiea resident, Eugene Saulibio, filed suit against Bukoski earlier this year, saying that Bukoski sexually assaulted him in 1976 when he was 15 years old, while he was attending a summer session of Saint Louis High School.
Bukoski has denied the allegations against him.
Honolulu Catholic Bishop Francis DiLorenzo suspended Bukoski as pastor of a Maui church in May 2002 after receiving a complaint alleging sexual misconduct 20 years ago. Last August, after Saulibio's accusation was investigated, DiLorenzo removed Bukoski from serving as a priest in Hawaii.
Regarding Han's lawsuit, Secor said he was not familiar with the case and "cannot confirm that this is the second person who came to us with allegations against Father Bukoski."
When asked if this was a third allegation against Bukoski, Secor said, "I'm not suggesting that at all."
