This next story contains graphic details
and could be disturbing to some viewers.
It was betrayal beyond description.
The woman sexually abused for years
by her father when she was a little
girl is now suing the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
She says her mother turned to the church
for help when she caught her husband
sexually assaulting their daughter
when she was only five years old,
but the abuse never stopped.
We talked with her about her
legal battle against the church.
Well, we got our newest member
of the Bonita First Ward here.
Elizabeth. The first time that
he held me in the hospital after
I was born, he got an erection.
Elizabeth, we're only using her
first name, was repeatedly sexually
abused by her father from birth.
He started abusing me, like literally
as soon as they brought me home
from the hospital. Her family
was deeply involved in the
Church of Latter Day Saints,
and her attorney says they
attended this ward in Lemon Grove.
Her father was an elder there,
and she says he used their
Mormon faith as a weapon.
Framing her personal hell
as the path to heaven.
If you love me, you'll do this for me.
And Jesus wants us to love each other.
And. I wanted to show him
that I loved him, so I did.
Her father hid his dark secret,
but Elizabeth's mother caught him in the act.
When she was only five years old,
I thought I was in trouble.
I did not understand why she was so mad.
I thought I had done something
wrong and I was in trouble because
she just started screaming.
I remember running and hiding and then
just nothing really changed after that.
Elizabeth's mom did what
they were taught to do.
When you have a problem, you go to
your priesthood leaders so that.
She was told along with her mother
not to disclose, not to report it,
and they would take care of it.
And instead of taking care of it,
they allowed the abuse to
continue for many more years.
Sam door Dulian is a former prosecutor
of sex crimes in LA and represents
Elizabeth in her lawsuit against her father
and the Church of Latter Day Saints.
They tried to hide it,
they told the family not to disclose it,
they said they would take care of it,
and they did nothing to take
care of the problem and the abuse
and Elizabeth kept suffering.
Year after year after year,
when they learned of continued abuse,
the church finally excommunicated
Maynard McFarland, but they still
wouldn't turn him into authorities.
Elizabeth left home at 18,
but took her trauma with her.
There were times where I would have to.
Go to the, you know,
emergency room for 70 plus stitches.
Because I had gone through
an episode of Self Harm
in 2004, Elizabeth called San Diego Police.
They helped set up and record a phone call
where Elizabeth confronted her father.
The first time.
I don't even remember. Come on, dad.
Maynard McFarland was arrested, charged,
convicted and sentenced to 32 years
for his crimes against his daughter.
He served 15.
He now lives in Chula Vista,
registered as a low threat sexual offender.
I still have flashbacks.
I still have anxiety, depression,
I mean just a whole host of,
of, you know, trauma.
The lawsuit is only possible now
because of a B218A California.
Law that extended the statute
of limitations for survivors
of childhood sexual abuse.
It could result in a 7 figure
payout from the church,
but it would be cynical to think you
could put a price on Elizabeth's suffering.
Responding to CBS8A,
spokesperson for the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter Day Saints said they
have 0 tolerance for any kind of abuse
and that it quote is still reviewing
this complaint regarding abuse that
occurred more than two decades ago
but disputes the allegations that church.
Leaders advised the family not to report
the abuse of the father to authorities.
How is it right that so many people
knew what was happening
and just let it happen? I I.
I still can't answer that question.
Elizabeth was trapped by family and
faith and feels fury now. When she
sees video of her baptism as a child,
it makes my blood
boil and the fact that
his priesthood leader knew what
he was doing and just allowed.
Him to baptize me.
Yeah, that makes me angry too.
So what are you hoping for in
this lawsuit? That that will
change with this church?
The way that they finally decide ohh no.
We need to make a change is when
there's finally some sort of pain,
financial pain inflicted on them.
And we're hoping that this church
will realize that what they did
in their policies in the past,
which sometimes continues on to to today,
needs to change.
The children must come first.
And for those of you wondering
about the mother's role,
the lawsuit says that the church
ordered her to not report the sexual
abuse to law enforcement and that she,
quote, justifiably relied on this
policy and believed the church
would protect her daughter.
Church members are now mandated
by law to report child sexual
sexual abuse to law enforcement
or face misdemeanor charges.