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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 Illinois 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. Church Sex Abuse Lawyer Illinois
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In a report that rocked the world, a Grand Jury in Pennsylvania found excessive cases of sexual molestation and assault on minors by priests. The number of victims is flabbergasting. Over 1,000 were directly identified, while thousands more are believed to exist. Over 300 priests were involved in this criminal behavior. The report also acknowledged a very unpleasant fact. The Vatican itself was aware of this abuse. The report indicates that abuse went on for over 5 decades. One has to wonder what the philosophy of covering up such heinous acts is? Did the Vatican really believe that the problem would just go away with the passing of time? How could one in good consciousness refuse to act after learning that children were being abused?
In light of this unpleasant picture, other states are starting to take action. Let’s start with Illinois, where the Attorney General recently said she was going to get a complete and accurate accounting of any abuse that had taken place in her state.
AG Madigan plans to meet with leaders of the Catholic Church throughout her state and the Archdiocese of Chicago has already agreed to meet with her. She believes the church has an obligation to give an accurate and complete accounting of any sexually inappropriate behavior or crimes to their parishioners and the public.
Church Sex Abuse Lawyer Illinois
The Chicago Archdiocese has admitted that they will engage with the Illinois AG and discuss their policies and procedures when it comes to sexual. According to the Archdiocese, they have reported all abuses and allegations to the proper authorities since 2002. That of course begs the question, what about any complaints made from 2002 to 2019? How did the Church handle those?
There is some creepy cross over between the Grand Jury Report in Pennsylvania and the Church in Illinois. Several priests identified in the report also served in Illinois. Take the cases of Rev. James Somma. One victim explained to the grand jury that he would spent the night at the Reverend’s home when he was 13. He would go on to state that he was victim of sexual abuse for the next 8 years. The reverend even had the audacity to visit the boy in his own home.
Church Sex Abuse Lawyer Illinois
According to an explosive report that came out in 1988, it indicated that this Reverend should not be allowed to be around minors in his own home. With that knowledge, the church still allowed him to keep working as a priest for over a decade.
What type of liability should the church have for turning a blind eye? That is a good question, and it will likely be answered soon by the courts.
Church Sexual Abuse Lawyers Illinois
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