A new lawsuit is accusing the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) of engaging in "fraudulent concealment" and breaking up a family through an illicit relationship with a priest.
Plaintiff Stephen Sanborn, Jr. filed the lawsuit (https://www.scribd.com/docuмent/752461822/Sanborn-v-SSPX) on July 16 in Platte County Circuit Court in Missouri, specifically naming Fr. Pierre Duverger and Fr. Arnaud Rostand.
According to the complaint, Sanborn's wife Jennifer "began marital counseling with Fr. Duverger" in 2011. Stephen began counseling with him in 2013.
(https://img1.wsimg.com/isteam/ip/be00658c-19a3-4de6-9fc0-358ce018c6d6/duverger%20quote.png/:/cr=t:0%25,l:0%25,w:100%25,h:100%25/rs=w:1280)
At the time, Fr. Rostand was U.S. district superior.
As Stella Maris Media has reported (https://stellamaris.media/f/sspx-priest-on-trial-for-abusing-7-children-1), Rostand was recently convicted in French criminal court after confessing to molesting at least seven boys.
Duverger has also been accused of grooming and sɛҳuąƖ assault. In our Aug. 20, 2021 Spotlight (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYpQxGvZqDI), an alleged 12-year-old victim in France accused Duverger of counseling her and engaging in explicit sɛҳuąƖ conversations.
Duverger's removal from Bordeaux was the result of another sex scandal in which he was allegedly embroiled, involving a young adult woman he was counseling before marriage.
The scandal led to Duverger's transfer to Our Lady of Guadalupe Monastery in Silver City, New Mexico for a year of "prayer" and "penance," before being installed in the U.S. District Superior's communications office.
While restrictions were reportedly placed on him from being around girls or women, witnesses say those restrictions were not enforced.
Grooming and assault allegations continued to follow Duverger afterwards, as we reported in our April 22, 2020 Spotlight (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guAD1bsFsPM).
As Sanborn's lawsuit notes, in spite of the restrictions on Duverger, "Fr. Duverger undertook counseling and spiritual direction of Plaintiff and his then wife, Jennifer."
"In April 2014, at the behest of Fr. Duverger, Plaintiff's wife gave to him a letter admittedly dictated to her by Duverger falsely accusing Plaintiff of abuse and other misdeeds in the marriage."
"Shortly thereafter, Plaintiff was told by the Priests and an individual acting on behalf of the priests that he needs to move out of his home."
According to the complaint, "Duverger began a long-term relationship with Plaintiff's wife," who began seeing him "at all hours of the day and night."
(https://www.scribd.com/docuмent/752461822/Sanborn-v-SSPX)
(https://img1.wsimg.com/isteam/ip/be00658c-19a3-4de6-9fc0-358ce018c6d6/sspx%20screenshot.png/:/cr=t:0%25,l:0%25,w:100%25,h:100%25/rs=w:1280) (https://www.scribd.com/docuмent/752461822/Sanborn-v-SSPX)
Sanborn accuses both Rostand and Duverger of spreading falsehoods about him, leading to being cut off from his wife and children.
The SSPX eventually helped secure a decree of nullity for Jennifer.
Sanborn is accusing Rostand as superior of knowingly allowing Duverger to violate the restrictions imposed on him by frequently meeting alone with his wife, in spite of Duverger's known track record of alleged grooming and abuse of other women he had counseled.
After spending large sums defending himself in court, Sanborn was forced to file for bankruptcy.
He is accusing the SSPX of breach of fiduciary duty and constructive fraud, among other things, and is demanding a jury trial and compensatory and punitive damages.
"Highly insular and secretive," said Attorney Rebecca Randles, who is representing the plaintiff. "The SSPX has created an environment ripe for the use and abuse of power by its priests exercising influence over every aspect of the lives of its followers."
"The SSPX and those appointed to handle its affairs have eschewed oversight, allowing some of its priests to run amok, causing grave harm to those left in their wake," she added. "This lawsuit has been filed to shine a light on some of the priests' behaviors."
String of Lawsuits & Convictions
Fr. Benedict Van Der Putten Lawsuit
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This lawsuit follows another one filed in California against the SSPX (https://stellamaris.media/f/sspx-sued-for-sex-abuse-cover-up-in-california) accusing the Society of covering up sex abuse.
Going by the initials M.K., the plaintiff is accusing Fr. Benedict Van Der Putten of molesting her when she was 6–9 years old, while she attended camp at St. Aloysius in 1997–1999.
According to the third amended complaint (https://www.scribd.com/docuмent/725915550/Third-Amended-Complaint-MK-v-ROMAN-CATHOLIC-BISHOP-OF-SAN-JOSE-et-al), filed in January 2024 (warning: graphic), “As part of the summer camp activities, Van Der Putten took Plaintiff on ATV rides. While on the all-terrain vehicle, Van Der Putten would sit behind Plaintiff and fondle her ___ under her clothing.”
As we first reported in 2021 in Spotlight: SSPX Predator in Our Midst (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNHM6yMsL9c), Van Der Putten was accused of molesting several girls, both minors and young adults. Victims were told not to report him to police, and one whistleblower was ordered to remain silent.
Fr. Jean-Luc Radier Arrested for Rape
(https://stellamaris.media/f/another-sspx-priest-arrested-for-child-sex-crimes)
(https://img1.wsimg.com/isteam/ip/be00658c-19a3-4de6-9fc0-358ce018c6d6/radier.jpg/:/cr=t:0%25,l:0%25,w:100%25,h:100%25/rs=w:1280) (https://stellamaris.media/f/another-sspx-priest-arrested-for-child-sex-crimes)
In May of this year, 64-year-old Fr. Jean-Luc Radier of the SSPX was arrested for raping a minor (https://stellamaris.media/f/another-sspx-priest-arrested-for-child-sex-crimes), and is currently under investigation.
The charges stem from Radier's time teaching at Star of the Morning ("L'Etoile du Matin") Academy (https://www.etoile-du-matin.fr/) in Eguelshardt, Moselle, France, between 1993 and 1995.
Authorities conducted a search of Radier's residence. The prosecutor, Edwige Roux-Morizot, noted, "Digital material has been collected and will be reviewed during the investigation."
While only one victim has come forward to accuse Radier, it is suspected he has many more. Speaking to police, the victim reportedly said Radier would creep into the boys' dormitory on an almost-nightly basis in search of victims, "busloads of them," according to him.
Fr. Arnaud Rostand's Admission
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As mentioned above, this comes less than two months after Fr. Rostand admitted in French court that he abused children (https://stellamaris.media/f/sspx-priest-on-trial-for-abusing-7-children-1), saying (https://www.leparisien.fr/faits-divers/juge-pour-attouchements-sur-mineurs-un-pretre-de-la-fraternite-saint-pie-x-avait-prevenu-sa-hierarchie-de-cette-attirance-05-04-2024-2NQN4I2W6ZAHTPKCVA6OJ7LNTQ.php) he has “always struggled against this attraction” to adolescents.
Significantly, Rostand made his SSPX superiors aware of his struggles as early as 1998, writing a letter to his superiors admitting his attraction to children. He repeated his concerns to superiors in 2000, 2006 and 2016.
Rostand himself confirmed in a 2010 interview (https://www.remnantnewspaper.com/Remnant 2011/Archives/2010-0315-rostand-interviewm.htm), “In August of 2008, Bishop Fellay, the General Superior of the Society of Saint Pius X, appointed me as Superior of the District of the United States.”
He served as district superior from 2008–2014, during which Sanborn accuses him of covering for Duverger.
In spite of these warnings, the SSPX, primarily through Fellay, continued placing Rostand in positions of authority in Europe, Asia and the United States.
Read more:
Another SSPX Priest Arrested for Child Sex Crimes (https://stellamaris.media/f/another-sspx-priest-arrested-for-child-sex-crimes)
SSPX Priest on Trial for Abusing 7 Children (https://stellamaris.media/f/sspx-priest-on-trial-for-abusing-7-children-1)
SSPX Sued for Sex Abuse Cover-Up in California (https://stellamaris.media/f/sspx-sued-for-sex-abuse-cover-up-in-california)