Lawsuit revives sexual misconduct charges against priest

A lawsuit centering on longstanding sexual misconduct allegations against a former priest at Berwick’s St. Stephen Catholic Church has made its way back into court.
The lawsuit, filed in July, alleges that the plaintiff, known in court records as Sam Doe, was molested in 1961 or 1962 by the Rev. Stanley Begnaud, then assigned to St. Stephen. Doe is suing the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lafayette, which includes the St. Stephen parish.
Court documents filed in connection with the allegations say the diocese knew Begnaud was a pedophile but didn’t publicly disclose that information until 2019.
Doe was 16 at the time of the alleged crimes. Begnaud served in at least 11 church posts in the Lafayette Diocese, including St. Stephen, before he retired in 1982. Begnaud died in 1985.
In documents filed with the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeal, Doe’s attorney said he had memories in 2002 of being abused, “but also stipulated he did not recall this until 2019 in the course of counseling he had been receiving for a number of years.”
The lawsuit was filed in 15th Judicial District Court in Lafayette.
The Advocate’s Claire Taylor reported Dec. 27 that the Doe lawsuit is one of at least 13 filed against the Diocese of Lafayette in 2025 and about 50 that have been filed since 2024.
The Louisiana Supreme Court last year upheld the creation of a three-year period in which cases could be pursued even though they were filed after the legal prescription period had elapsed.
Lawsuits filed in connection with allegations of abuse by priests have generated claims and counterclaims about whether lawsuits could be filed beyond the prescription period.
Laws passed by the Louisiana Legislature and court rulings have generally lengthened the time in which such claims can be filed.