Clergy Sexual Abuse in the Sacramento Diocese
In one of the Nation’s largest settlements of its kind, we represented several survivors of sexual abuse perpetrated by Rev. Mario Blanco, a priest who served in the Sacramento area from October 1969 to April 1973.
After leaving his native Costa Rica for the U.S., during his tenure in Sacramento he accumulated a total of 21 separate accusations of sexual abuse, allegedly using alcohol as a tool to manipulate victims.
After being removed from Ministry in 1973 for 'non-sexual misconduct,' he was ordered to return to Costa Rica, but refused to leave. He instead joined a new religious sect and denied allegations until his death in 2008.
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Sacramento Diocese
If you are a survivor of sexual abuse suffered at the hands of a priest or clergy member, you are not alone. Survivors may be entitled to bring their claims forward, but the time to do so is limited. Under CA Assembly Bill 218, all claims must be filed before January 2023.
As part of one of the largest settlements of its kind in the nation, we represented several survivors of Reverend Francisco Javier Garcia.
Born in Mexico, Rev. Garcia was among many Spanish-speaking priests from other countries assigned to the Sacramento area to minister to the Spanish-speaking population there, which was growing rapidly in the early 1970s. Garcia arrived in the diocese in 1978 and worked at Our Lady of Guadalupe in Sacramento, CA, Holy Rosary in Woodland, CA, and Sacred Heart in Maxwell, CA.
Garcia was removed from ministry in 1995 and left the country, fleeing felony charges and allegations of sexual abuse occurring from 1987 to 1994. He is believed to have fled to Mexico after criminal warrants were issued for his arrest for sexually abusing multiple boys younger than age 14 in the 1970s. In 2007 he was involuntarily dismissed from the priesthood by the Pope.
To learn more about this case, follow the media links below.