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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 Iowa 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. Priest Sex Abuse Lawyer Iowa
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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.
Coming forward after being sexually abused has got to be one of the hardest things to do. Now imagine if you were abused by a member of your church, someone whom you trusted and was respected in your family and community. One thing that gives victims strength to come forward is the desire to make the truth known, and hopefully prevent this kind of abuse from happening to someone else. Unfortunately, this country has many draconian laws when it comes to prosecuting sexual abusers.
One thing many Americans’ don’t’ realize is that there are two sets of court systems in this country. Civil and criminal. Civil usually involves suing for money damages to right a wrong. Criminal usually involves the threat of incarceration or taking one’s liberty away. So a priest who sexually abused a child could successfully sued for money by the victim, yet never spend a day behind bars. As is often the case, the statute of limitations runs on cases like these, and nothing happens at all. That is why statute of limitations reform is so important, and being openly discussed in many state legislatures.
Priest Sex Abuse Lawyer Iowa
One case that has many Iowans talking started out in 2014 when a law firm released internal documents exposing a priest, James Jansen. Although he had already been defrocked, it was reported that he sexually molested an altar boy in Joliet Diocese in 1956. The Davenport diocese has reported that he has been accused of abuse by over 35 former victims.
The Quad-City Times reported that “The victim's mother found obscene letters between the boy and Janssen, and she told her parish priest, who wrote to officials in Davenport, the records state. Janssen was allowed to return to Davenport and continue in several assignments, records state.”
Priest Sex Abuse Lawyer Iowa
So what did the church do to try and stop this behavior you ask? The church claims that the bishop sought to curb his by placing restrictions on him. However, over the next 30 years, as he would repeatedly violate those restrictions. In some cases, the church would merely send him to another jurisdiction and not inform officials there about his past. Thankfully Jansen was defrocked in 2004, but not before a lot of damage was done. The church has a lot of soul searching to do.
Priest Sexual Abuse Lawyers Iowa
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