L.A. cardinal accused of abuse

FRESNO, Calif. (AP) -- In an extraordinary public statement, the head of the nation's largest Roman Catholic archdiocese said he has been accused of sexually molesting a high school student 32 years ago. But contacted for details Saturday, the woman who hurled the allegation never said Cardinal Roger Mahony actually touched her.

Mahony himself revealed the molestation claim -- and strongly denied it -- in a three-page statement Friday night.

But Mahony's statement gave no specifics about what sort of abuse the woman said had occurred. And hours later, in an interview with The Associated Press at her Fresno apartment, the accuser said she couldn't recall much of what she says had happened that day in 1970.

The woman, now 51, said she was knocked unconscious while fighting with other students at San Joaquin Memorial Catholic High School in Fresno. She said she woke up, found the "bottom" part of her clothing missing and saw Mahony, then a monsignor in Fresno, standing over her.

"When I came to, Monsignor Mahony was there, and part of my clothing was removed. I can't remember exactly what happened," she said. "He was the one that was over me when I opened my eyes. I can't remember what happened after that."

The woman said she couldn't describe the incident in more detail, but she insisted: "I'm not making this up. I know this is a serious allegation. This has been eating at me. I did call police when I was out of high school. They didn't believe me."

In a separate interview with Associated Press broadcast news, she described a second incident in which she said she was kicked in the head and then saw Mahony.

The AP does not identify alleged victims in sexual assault cases, and the woman said she does not want her name used. The woman's name was included in Mahony's statement.

She said she is a disabled former fast-food worker who is taking antidepressants. She also said a psychiatrist told her she was a paranoid schizophrenic.