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Hawaii Priest Sexual Abuse Lawyer - Hawaii Catholic Church Sexual Assault Settlements HI
If you were 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 you. Please fill out our confidential online contact form or call Toll Free 1-866-777-2557 and a Hawaii Sexual Abuse Lawyer will get back to you within 24 hours to discuss your possible case. Help is available nationwide. There is no cost to investigate and there are no legal fees unless you receive financial compensation. Making the call is sometimes the hardest step, but it is often a necessary step on the road to healing. Priest Sexual Abuse Lawyer Hawaii
Reasons to call
- Hold the church and priests accountable
- Prevent this from happening to someone else
- Help with the road to recovery – settlement money can provide financial security for you. It can also help pay for therapy, rehabilitation, and medical treatment
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. Hawaii Priest Sexual Abuse Lawyer
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Hawaii Priest Sexual Abuse Lawyer
‘Predatory behavior’: Priest sex abuse report reveals secret Bay Area case
A shocking grand jury report released in August of 2018 detailed over a thousand cases of child sexual abuse in multiple roman catholic dioceses in Pennsylvania. But because priests often move from place to place or are transferred, the ramifications of the report extend far beyond the Keystone State.
Priest Sexual Abuse Lawyer Hawaii
One example is the case of California priest Benedict van Der Putten. Around the year 2000, van Der Putten was accused of molesting a teenage girl. At the time, he was part of the St. Aloysius retreat in Los Gatos. The priests there are part of the Society of St. Pius X, a 'sect' of sorts that practices a traditional style of Catholicism. While Vatican II switched the language of Mass from Latin to vernacular in the 1960s (the church later declared in 2007 that priests could hold Latin masses if they chose), this group still held Latin Mass and other pre-Vatican II rituals. While ordinary people might describe van Der Putten as a Catholic priest, the rituals at St. Aloysius were not officially part of the Catholic church and they were not affiliated with the local diocese.
Hawaii Priest Sexual Abuse Lawyer
The abuse originally came to light when local authorities received a tip and began investigating van Der Putten. The tip came from the local child protective services and involved a girl who was 15 or 16 at the time of the abuse. However, officials were unable to prosecute. A sergeant from the local sheriff’s department said this was because “There wasn’t enough hard statements that we could bring a case.” Church documents reveal that van der Putten eventually confessed to a bishop to having molested a 16-year-old girl.
Priest Sexual Abuse Lawyer Hawaii
When the Society learned of the accusations, they transferred him to their headquarters in Switzerland, and eventually to an island monastery retreat in Scotland. They reported what had happened to the Vatican and ultimately expelled him from the society. In 2001, van der Putten attempted to rejoin the mainstream Catholic church, applying to become at a Pennsylvania diocese. The Vatican informed the local bishop about the accusations against him, and his application was denied. He was ultimately defrocked by Pope Benedict.
Hawaii Priest Sexual Abuse Lawyer
The events in this case suggest the complexities of sexual abuse allegations. While the Society of St. Pius X did take action and report van der Putten to the Vatican, it took some time for them to expel him after the allegations came to light. And while he was defrocked, he has never faced legal justice, for reasons that remain unclear. With the trend toward more victims coming forward and going public, perhaps in the future, more predators like van der Putten can be brought to justice.
Priest Sexual Abuse Lawyer Hawaii
Call Toll Free 1-866-777-2557 for a Free, Confidential Consultation. No Legal Fees Unless You Receive Settlement.
Priest Sex Abuse Lawyer
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