Miami Archdiocese Facing Sex Abuse Suit

Lawsuit claims priest molested 10-year-old boy in 1970s

By Brian Hamacher

The Archdiocese of Miami is facing yet another lawsuit by a man who claims he was sexually abused by a Catholic priest in the 1970s.

The lawsuit, filed Thursday in Miami-Dade Circuit Court, claims Father Francisco Carrera sexually abused Jorge Rubio when he was a 10-year-old in approximately 1976.

"He became an extension of my family. We trusted him with everything," Rubio said at a press conference Thursday.

Carrera was assigned at Our Lady of Divine Providence at the time of the alleged abuse, and became close to the Rubio family to obtain their confidence and trust, the lawsuit claims.

Rubio said Carrera was known for being a camper and often set up trips and invited boys form the church to go on overnight trips.

The suit claims Carrera abused Rubio twice, once at Rubio's house while his parents were asleep and a second time while the two slept alone in a tent during a camping trip.

The lawsuit claims the Archdiocese was aware of the alleged abuse by Carrera and that it covered up for him by transferring him to different parishes and eventually back to his native Spain.

"Everybody should be held accountable," Rubio said. "Someone in that position should be held even more accountable."

In a statement issued Thursday, The Archdiocese said Carrera has resided in his home Diocese of Salamanca, Spain, since the early 1980s.

"As always, the Catholic Church’s concerns are for the victims and a prevailing sense of justice," the statement said. "In addition, over these past nine years, the Archdiocese has been forthcoming and taken steps to keep children safe through training and background screenings of all its employees."