Local News in Brief : Anaheim : Added Claims Allowed in Molestation Lawsuit

Reviving $2 million in claims against the Catholic Church, a judge Tuesday allowed more legal demands to be added to a lawsuit by a boy, 12, who alleges that he was sexually molested by a Catholic priest.

The lawsuit alleges that the boy, who was 8 at the time, had been invited on an overnight Boy Scouts outing by Father Robert Foley and that the priest sodomized the child and then told him to keep quiet or the devil would get him. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange is the main target of the lawsuit, which seeks substantial damages to compensate the boy for his psychological scars.

On Tuesday, Superior Court Commissioner Eleanor M. Palk allowed the boy’s lawyer to pursue added claims against the diocese for the alleged assault and distress the boy suffered. The decision allows the boy to seek punitive damages, designed to punish a wrongdoer.

Diocesan lawyer Daniel H. Clifford has said that Foley’s alleged actions could not have been predicted by the church and that the diocese should not be held responsible. He has said an appeal is likely.

Foley was an associate pastor at St. Justin Martyr Catholic Church in Anaheim in 1983 and ran a Scout troop made up mostly of boys from the parish.

No criminal charges were pressed as a result of the alleged incident. Foley is said to live in London.