Clergy Abuse Attorneys
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. 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.
We may file or settle a claim individually or as part of a group on a case-by-case basis.
Whether your claim is filed individually or as part of a group fighting the same defendant, our goal is always to provide each of our clients with individual attention.
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.
New Law Alters Child Sex Abuse Case
The Minnesota lawsuit became possible after Minnesota passed the Child Victims Act in 2013. That law opened a three-year window which lifted the statute of limitations for child sex abuse victims to report new cases. The legislative change ultimately led to hundreds of new victims filing claims against institutions including the Catholic church.
Pope Francis Apologizes to Victims, Admits Church Failed Them.
(August 20, 2018) AP reported that Pope Francis vowed that “no effort must be spared” to root out priest sex abuse and cover-up from the Catholic Church. But the pope gave no indication that he would sanction complicit bishops or end the Vatican culture of secrecy that has allowed the crisis to fester.
The pope wrote a letter to Catholics worldwide following the damning new revelations of misconduct in Pennsylvania. Pope Francis sought to project a get-tough response to the perpetrators and a compassionate shoulder for victims ahead of a fraught trip to Ireland this weekend.
Pope Francis begged forgiveness for the pain suffered by victims. He also said that lay Catholics must be included in the effort to root out abuse and cover-up. He did criticize the clerical culture that has been blamed for the crisis, with church leaders more concerned about their own reputations than the safety of children.
“We showed no care for the little ones,” Francis wrote. “We abandoned them.”
Church “Superiors” Go Unpunished
But Francis offered no indication that he would change the Vatican’s longstanding practice of giving church superiors immunity when they cover-up abuse cases or are negligent in protecting their parishioners.
AP reported that the pope’s letter was viewed by sex abuse survivors as little more than recycled rhetoric that fails to acknowledge the Vatican’s own role in turning a blind eye to predatory priests and fomenting a culture of secrecy that has allowed crimes to go unpunished for decades.
“That culture was overseen by #Vatican & codified into its laws,” tweeted Colm O’Gorman, a prominent Irish abuse victim who is organizing a solidarity demonstration of survivors in Dublin during Francis’ planned visit this week. “He needs to name & own that.”
Marie Collins, another prominent Irish survivor who resigned in frustration from the pope’s sex-abuse advisory commission, said statements about how terrible abuse is and how bishops must be held accountable are meaningless.
“Tell us instead what you are doing to hold them accountable,” she tweeted. “That is what we want to hear. ‘Working on it’ is not an acceptable explanation for decades of ‘delay.’”
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Catholic Church Coddled, Concealed Abusers.
The jury found that the church failed, again and again, to dismiss and punish those accused by multiple eyewitnesses of sexual abuse.
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.
Confidential Case Consultation
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.
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 (888) 923-7001, or reach out using our online form.