Were You Abused?
Massachusetts Priest Sexual Abuse Lawyer - Massachusetts Catholic Church Sexual Assault Settlements MA
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 Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts
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. Massachusetts Priest Sexual Abuse Lawyer
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Priest Sexual Abuse Lawyer Massachusetts
Child sex abuse report Archdiocese of Boston
In 2002, the widespread pattern of sexual abuse in the Catholic church that had been kept secret for so long was just beginning to come to light. A major part of this story took place in Boston. That year, the Boston Globe began investigating and publishing reports about accusations against priests in the area. The reporting was so successful at bringing the truth to light that five priests, John Geoghan, John Hanlon, Paul Shanley, Robert V. Gale and Jesuit priest James Talbot, were convicted and sent to prison.
Massachusetts Priest Sexual Abuse Lawyer
The details about these individuals were shocking enough. Geoghan, for instance, was repeatedly assigned to posts in various locations in the Archdiocese of Boston that would have involved interacting with minors, even after a number of incidents in which families reported they caught him molesting their sons. He was sent to treatment for pedophilia, and later ordered by a cardinal to undergo counseling. Some members of the victims’ families say church authorities asked them to keep quiet about the abuse.
These details, while shocking, are like others that came to light in the early 2000s, in that they reveal a pattern of Catholic higher-ups knowing about sexual abuse and failing to take appropriate steps to protect children.
Priest Sexual Abuse Lawyer Massachusetts
In the wake of the scandal, the archdiocese of Boston ended up paying almost $100 million in damages to victims, and the Archbishop of the diocese, Cardinal Law, resigned. He had been instrumental in covering up allegations and protecting predator priests by shuffling them from job to job. The church accepted his resignation, but he was not defrocked or blacklisted from working; in fact, he received top assignments in Rome, and Pope Francis presided at his 2017 funeral.
Making these facts public required intensive reporting by a dedicated team because the facts had been so routinely covered up by top church officials, members of law enforcement and others who prioritized shielding the church from embarrassment.
Following the original Boston Globe reporting, more and more accusations came forth. The Globe receive a Pulitzer for its work, and the events also inspired the Oscar-winning film Spotlight.
Massachusetts Priest Sexual Abuse Lawyer
The events in Boston have opened a Pandora’s Box of sex abuse revelations around the world, as it has become clear how widespread the reality of Catholic child sex abuse really is. They inspired reforms in dioceses around the country, many of which instituted new policies to protect children.
Priest Sexual Abuse Lawyer Massachusetts
Call Toll Free 1-866-777-2557 for a Free, Confidential Consultation. No Legal Fees Unless You Receive Settlement.
Priest Abuse Lawyer Massachusetts - Free Confidential Consultation - 1-866-777-2557
Priest Sex Abuse Lawyer
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