Idaho Church Sexual Assault Lawyer - Idaho Priest Sexual Assault Lawyer Cases Settlements IN


If you were sexually abused as a child by a priest, deacon or any other member of the Catholic Church, you are not aloneWe are here to help you.  Please fill out our confidential online contact form or call Toll Free 1-866-777-2557 and an Idaho 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.  Church Sexual Assault Lawyer Idaho


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.  Idaho Church Sexual Assault Lawyer


































Church Sexual Assault Lawyer Idaho


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Idaho Church Sexual Assault Lawyer


Child sex abuse Spokane Diocese (WA)


The story of Father Patrick O’Donnell in the Spokane diocese of Washington is a microcosm of many injustices within the Catholic church. It serves to illustrate trends that have further victimized people already harmed by child sexual abuse. In November 2008, the former priest agreed to pay a $5 million settlement to be divided among 24 victims who sued him. But the survivors did not recover the full amount.


Church Sexual Assault Lawyer Idaho


A total of 66 people have accused him of molesting or raping them during the period he was a priest in Washington, up until 1980. At that point he admitted to stopping the abuse in response to parent complaints. However, he was never arrested or prosecuted because the statute of limitations had expired by the time the crimes were reported. At the time his case was settled, he apologized to the victims over the phone through his attorney, and claimed he did not have sufficient money or assets to actually pay the judgment. Victims believed he had prepared for legal action by hiding money or transferring it to relatives.
The Spokesman-Review reported in 2008 that “Today he lives in a comfortable home in the quiet Puget Sound community of La Conner, Wash., and has acknowledged that he can’t remember the names of the boys he molested or the specific incidents.”


Idaho Church Sexual Assault Lawyer


The diocese, like many others, has been shaken in recent years by revelations of abuse that occurred there but was long hidden. In 2007 the Catholic church in Portland became the first in the nation to declare bankruptcy, settling 175 claims of child abuse for $75 million. In 2010 the diocese sought legal mediation to cope with mounting fees connected with abuse accusations, with 21 new claims having come to light. They had already paid out $48 million in damages.


Church Sexual Assault Lawyer Idaho                           


So why was this diocese hit with so many costly lawsuits? A study by John Jay College of Criminal Justice found that “The consistency of the findings in dioceses across the United States is remarkable: whether region, number of Catholic communicants or number of parishes is used to array the dioceses, the results show allegations of sexual abuse have been made against 2.5% to 7% of diocesan priests.” Thus Washington’s “firsts” are not the result of worse abuse. Rather, an expert on sexual abuse in organizations speculates that “There might be a higher percentage of victimized children who come forward in the Northwest…. It might even be the case that the … churches are more faithful and ‘generous’ at addressing allegations of abuse.”


Idaho Church Sexual Assault Lawyer


That means that in regions with fewer settlements and bankruptcies, victims might simply be more reluctant to come forward, and the church might be suppressing their stories more vigorously.


An attorney who represented many of the claimants stated that “It’s unfortunate that their excuse is that they were the same as secular organizations…. Secular organizations are about money and profit. The Catholic Church should be about the souls of children.”
More recently, Tucson diocese is one of many that has felt compelled to respond to the recent release of a shocking grand jury report from Pennsylvania detailing hundreds of incidents of child sexual abuse. The 2018 document revealed complicity on the part of church officials who allowed pedophile priests to remain in their jobs.


Church Sexual Assault Lawyer Idaho


In September 2018, the bishop of Tucson Diocese confirmed that 10 clergy members had been fired in the past 10 years for suspicious behavior, and 12 unpaid workers had been removed from their positions as well. The president of Survivors Network of those Accused by Priests said that “Compared to most dioceses in the United States, Tucson does well in the sense that when you go there to report child abuse, many of the dioceses say contact the church first, but if you go to Tucson’s diocese’s website, their first point says to call 911. The second thing is they release the names of known abusers, which provides an opportunity for survivors to come forward and seek help.”


Idaho Church Sexual Assault Lawyer













































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