A 68-year-old retired American teacher, Kathy Coll, has filed a legal suit against Nigerian Catholic priest, Cyprian Duru, for alleged rape in 2016.
Coll also joined the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh, Bishop David Zubik, and St. Teresa of Avila Roman Catholic Parish, her Ross township church, in the 13-count suit.
The widowed mother of two adult sons said she still has trouble processing how the Catholic Church responded two years ago when she reported she had been raped in 2016 by a Nigerian priest.
According to a report by triblive.com, Coll opened the suit on Wednesday, querying why the diocese failed to properly vet Duru before assigning him to a parish where she and others were asked to give support.
She claimed that if the diocese had made investigation, it would have found out that the Nigerian priest was from a region where clergy were known to prey on older women.
Coll sang in the choir, taught catechism classes and volunteered countless hours for her church.
She said her life changed for worse after the alleged assault in December 2016 by Duru, who was studying at Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and assisting her North Hills parish.
“I spent 2 ½ years trying to get someone to listen to me,” Coll said. “No one was listening to me, so I decided it was time to say I want to make something happen here.”
She alleges that the church heard complaints from others about Duru’s inappropriate behaviour toward older women, failed to act quickly, and later neglected to explain why Duru was removed from ministry after she reported her assault.
Duru, however, remains at Duquesne on a student visa.
