Last week, Vatican officials came and left without hearing from Roland Sondia, one of the four men to accuse Archbishop Anthony Apuron of child molestation. The same group of clergy are likely to leave Hawaii today, also emptyhanded. And one canon lawyer shares his experience with canonical trials against clergy accused of sex abuse.

What's happened on Guam, he says, is unusual.

Thomas Doyle is a canon lawyer and an expert in clergy sex abuse having been around since accusations of pedophile priests first surfaced over three decades ago. What he observed in last week's visit from Vatican officials, led by Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke, wasn't typical. "I've represented victims in canonical trials and I've gone with them when they've given their testimony," he qualified. "There's sometimes when they don't want me in, but they certainly have a right to have someone with them. especially if they've been sexually violated."

As we reported, Sondia was called to the chancery to meet with Cardinal Burke and the visiting clergy on Thursday morning. His attorney, David Lujan, however, was uninvited - and Sondia walked away without providing his deposition.

Doyle tells KUAM News that was the right thing to do and shares what happens behind closed doors during the very secretive canonical process. On one occasion, Doyle says he and his client walked out during a deposition. "I got fed up with the way they were talking to him and I just finally stopped the whole thing and said 'We're leaving. Until you guys learn how to treat a victim of sexual abuse with respect and sensitivity, we're not coming back.'" he explained.

To date, eighteen plaintiffs have filed suit against the Archdiocese of Agana, four of whom have accused Archbishop Apuron of sexual molestation decades ago while he was a priest at Mount Carmel Church in Agat. All victims are represented by Attorney Lujan.

"Remember, I'm representing people in a civil case. Okay? I'm not representing them in a canonical case," Lujan told KUAM News. "So, my main concern is to make sure that my clients are not tricked into saying anything in a canonical trial."

Lujan confirms all four Apuron accusers have been contacted by the same Vatican officials who've sought out their depositions. In a release from the Archdiocese of Agana issued on Saturday, they confirm Cardinal Burke as well as four others, left island that morning after their two-day visit. Their next stop, Tribunal documents state, was Honolulu, Hawaii to meet with Roy Quintanilla on February 20. Quintanilla was the first to publicly accuse Apuron, in a press conference last summer.

"Roy Quintanilla did not show up. Because I'm not around to be with him," he said.

The traveling clergy are anticipated to head stateside next - to Phoenix, Arizona to meet with the remaining Apuron accusers, Walter Denton and Doris Concepcion, the mother of Joseph "Sonny" Quinata. Both, he confirms will be no-shows.

Lujan says his clients will be submitting their declarations next week in writing.