Clergy Abuse Attorneys work for Survivors
Our clergy abuse attorneys work for survivors to bring justice for those abused by Catholic priests or clergy. A shocking number of Catholic priests and other clergy have abused thousands of children and young adults over the last several decades. In 2018, the state of Pennsylvania made the horrific problem of priests victimizing children in their charge impossible to ignore. That revelation prompted or emboldened several other states – including Arizona, California, Iowa, Montana, New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, Texas, and several others – to launch their own investigations. In some cases, states have changed their statutes of limitations laws in order to pursue civil action against the dioceses that hid or protected abusive clergy.
Free Legal Consultation
Our experienced clergy abuse attorneys represent abuse survivors nationwide. If you or someone you love was abused by a priest or another trusted elder, contact us today for a free legal consultation regarding a potential lawsuit against your abuser(s) and/or a church or other responsible organization.
New York
A new New York Law now enables sex abuse survivors to file cases previously barred by statutes of limitations. In February 2019, the archdiocese of Brooklyn released a list of more than 100 priests credibly accused of sex abuse. In April 2019, the archdiocese of New York named 20 clergy ‘credibly accused’ of child sex abuse. New York state law changed this spring with the newly-passed Child Victims Act. The law not only extends the statute of limitations, but also dispenses with the requirement to file a notice of claim against various municipal entities for the specific sexual offenses enumerated in the Act.
New Jersey
In May 2019, New Jersey passed legislation to allow a longer grace period (or statute of limitations) for victims to file claims for the abuse they suffered years earlier.
Texas
In April 2019, Matthews & Associates law firm filed a claim against a Conroe, Texas priest accused of child sex abuse. Dallas, Texas police in May 2019 launched a raid on a Catholic diocese in order to find records of sex abuse that were not forthcoming otherwise.
Iowa
On June 3, 2019 in Iowa the state attorney general requested abuse records from The Catholic diocese and launched an abuse hotline for abuse survivors.
Free Confidential Case Consultation
Tell us your story. Demand justice. Our clergy abuse attorneys stand ready to help.
Email us now, or call 877-785-6463, or email us now for a free confidential case consultation regarding a potential lawsuit against your abuser(s) and the church or others who enabled that abuse. We work on a contingency fee basis; we don’t get paid or charge fees unless we win compensation for our clients.
The Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report
In August 2018 the nation renewed its attention on the decades-long problem of clergy sex abuse. The Pennsylvania grand jury report revealed that a shocking number of priest abuse cases went unreported by the church. The Pennsylvania grand jury, which convened for two years, concluded that at least 300 priests had sexually abused more than 1,000 children and underage young people in a period spanning six decades.
Catholic Church coddled, concealed abusers
Just as shocking as the jury’s report was its examination of thousands of pages of internal church documents. These documents showed the church’s abject moral failure; churches not only concealed the abuse, but coddled the abusers. The typical Catholic dioceses failed to “out” the abusers and protect the children in their charge. Moreover, the grand jury repeatedly found that the church failed to dismiss and punish those accused by multiple eyewitnesses of sexual abuse. The jury also found the church quietly moved sexually abusive priests to other parishes where they often preyed on other unsuspecting children.
States considering Law Changes
Many states besides New York and New Jersey are considering changes in their lawsuit deadlines for child sex abuse victims. Longer deadlines enable victims of clergy abuse longer periods of time in which to file a claim against an abuser. For many states, the cutoff date for filing a civil lawsuit against a sexual abuser is age 30, but many people aren’t ready to talk about the abuse they suffered as children until they’ve reached the age of 50, or beyond.
In view of these pragmatic facts, Minnesota has created a three-year window to answer a public outcry for a greater period of time. This window allows past abuse victims to file child sex abuse lawsuits against the church and other institutions. That change came despite the state’s statute of limitations being closed. Subsequently, the result was a very large settlement for many adults who had been abused as children in Minnesota.
The Pennsylvania legislature is also considering a change of law similar to the measures Minnesota and other states have enacted. This change would allow victims of priest abuse and other child sex abuse a longer grace period in which to file their claims. More and more states are now realizing that victims of child sex abuse often deny their own victimization for decades. Overall, many child sex abuse victims do all they can to bury their victimization. As a result, victims often resort to excessive drinking and other forms of self-abuse that sometimes ends in suicide. It is common for victims to take decades before reaching a point of emotional fitness sturdy enough to allow them to pursue a lawsuit against their abuser(s).
Clergy Abuse Attorneys
Our clergy abuse attorneys recognize the emotional difficulty of sharing sexual abuse information with anyone. We have handled clergy abuse cases across the country and in Puerto Rico for more than a decade. We also have many Spanish speakers on staff to help with anyone who’d rather speak with us in Spanish.
Confidential Case Consultation
Call us today or email for a free confidential case consultation in a potential clergy abuse lawsuit. We want to help abused people find justice, and we would be honored to help you. If yours is a case that is possible for us to pursue, we pledge to do everything within our power to bring your abuser(s) to justice. We want to hear your story. If you were abused by a trusted elder, we know you’ve already suffered long enough.
Tell us your story. Demand justice. Call 877-785-6463, or email us now.
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- Pennsylvania Priest Abuse Lawsuit
- Pennsylvania may change Priest Abuse Law
- The Catholic Church’s Child Sex Abuse Problem
- Clergy Abuse Attorneys
