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 Missouri 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. Catholic Church Sexual Abuse Lawyer Missouri
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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. Missouri Catholic Church Sexual Abuse Lawyer
Missouri is launching an investigation into potential Catholic Church sex abuse in St. Louis
In criminal investigations, the people or organizations that were responsible for the crimes don’t typically cooperate with investigators. The dynamics are somewhat different in ongoing investigations of child sex abuse in the Catholic church. In past decades, top church officials often took pains to conceal any evidence that existed regarding problem priests or abuse accusations. These cover-ups reached extremes; priests might be shuffled from job to job multiple times even after having admitted to child rape, and some were even offered money to retire early.
Missouri Catholic Church Sexual Abuse Lawyer
In the wake of events in recent decades, the church’s attitude has changed. A series of investigative reports by the Boston Globe—and more recently, a Pennsylvania grand jury report containing accounts of abuse by 301 priests—have shown the scope of the problem and awoken the public’s moral outrage. Many church officials now recognize the need for transparency, and to expose past crimes.
Catholic Church Sexual Abuse Lawyer Missouri
In Missouri, that is what promises to play out, as investigators have launched a probe into multiple church dioceses. State attorney General John Hawley said he will gather evidence from victims, church internal documents and elsewhere. Officials in all dioceses in the state have agreed to cooperate, giving law enforcement access to internal church documents they might not have otherwise been able to see. Internal documents can often strongly corroborate claims from victim accounts. Attorneys and prosecutors will review the evidence.
Missouri Catholic Church Sexual Abuse Lawyer
Hawley wrote to archbishop Robert Carson that “The protection of children from criminal abuse is one of my office’s top priorities…. I look forward to cooperating with you to ensure that the children of the Archdiocese of St. Louis are fully protected from any threat of abuse.” The archdiocese has stated “we have nothing to hide.”
In Missouri, one in 5 people are Catholics, for a total of about half a million members of the faith. The state became the first to announce it would investigate sex crimes in August of 2018 following that year’s release of the Pennsylvania grand jury report. However, many states have followed suit since then. With this trend toward thorough investigation and exposure of past secrets, survivors in every state may eventually attain some measure of justice.
Catholic Church Sexual Abuse Lawyer Missouri
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