Were you sexually abused as a child by a priest, deacon or any other member of the Catholic Church? You are not alone. We are here to help abuse victims. Stand up against your abuser and help prevent this from happening to someone else. Please fill out our confidential online contact form or call Toll Free 1-866-777-2557 and an Arizona Sex Abuse Lawyer will get back to you within 24 hours to discuss your possible case. This is a free consultation. There is no cost to investigate and there are no legal fees unless you receive financial compensation at the end of the case. Making the call is sometimes the hardest step, but it is often a necessary step on the road to healing. Clergy Abuse Lawyer Arizona
Reasons to call
Please call Toll Free 1-866-777-2557 or fill out our confidential contact form and a lawyer will get back to you within 24 hours to discuss your case.
Included in the Pennsylvania grand jury report, one of many problems that came to light was the fact that some bishops would issue financial payouts to victims in return for their silence (similar to NDA’s or non disclosure agreements that many are aware of). This not only strikes at the heart of justice but wreaks of foul play. Many are wondering how many other archdioceses around the country did similar things?
Clergy Abuse Lawyer Arizona
One of the points of reaching a settlement is to help prevent the criminal activity from happening again to another child. If the criminal acts are kept secret, then how is there going to be any deterrent on future behavior?
Deviant behavior that led to settlements included disgusting acts such as intercourse and oral sex. Often times the priests would use alcohol and or drugs on the victims. One case in point was the infamous Bishop Joseph V. Adamec of the Altoona Johnstown Diocese in Pennsylvania. He was notorious for sending sexual abusers back to the ministry. He also developed a payout grid to help determine appropriate levels of settlement money for specific acts.
Clergy Abuse Lawyer Arizona
Fondling under the clothes was given one set of settlement dollars, while intercourse was given a different settlement value. While most decent people are horrified by these revelations, many state legislatures are still slow to act on changing the laws to hold these criminals accountable. Many states still have draconian statute of limitations on the books that make it difficult for victims to come forward and get justice. That is slowly changing. New York just changed their SOL in 2019, and a few other progressive states are following suit. All 50 states must adopt a similar stance. Zero tolerance for these crimes.
Were You Abused?
Call Today: 1-866-777-2557
Copyright ©2020 Vanderhyde Law. All Rights Reserved. Please read our disclaimer and terms of use. The use of this website or contact forms does not create an attorney client relationship. Under our legal system, all parties mentioned in this website are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Attorney Advertising