A former altar boy at St. Hyacinth’s Church was awarded $4.4 million last week in a lawsuit against a priest who the man said molested him more than 20 years ago.
According to attorney Sumner Lipman, Steven Boyden, now 39, was sexually abused by the Rev. Ronald Michaud in 1984 and 1985, when Boyden was serving as an altar boy at St. Hyacinth’s in Westbrook.
Lipman said Boyden was “severely injured and emotionally scarred” by the incidents. He suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, has “taunting flashbacks” and can’t hold a job, Lipman said.
He said the money awarded by a judge in Kennebec County Superior Court Friday will “improve his quality of life” by covering his living expenses and paying for his ongoing treatment.
“In cases like this it’s tragic,” Lipman said. “The fact of the matter is, he’s living with great difficulty.”
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