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Pennsylvania Catholic Church Sexual Abuse Lawyer - Pennsylvania Catholic Church Sexual Abuse Settlements PA
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 Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania
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. Pennsylvania Catholic Church Sexual Abuse Lawyer
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Catholic Church Sexual Abuse Lawyer Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Child Sex Abuse Report by Grand Jury
A grand jury in Pennsylvania performed a two year investigation into sexual abuse of children by those in power in the Catholic Church. The investigation covered six dioceses in the state and how senior officials of the Catholic Church covered up the crimes statewide and by the Vatican in Rome. Some alarming details of the report are below:
Widespread Abuse
Although the report was partially redacted, it identified predatory priests of the Catholic clergy in Pennsylvania. There were 301 of these predatory priests who, while active in their ministry, sexually abused over 1,000 children. To date, this investigation is considered the broadest investigation in the U.S. of systematic coverup by the Catholic Church including leaders in the six dioceses and the Vatican.
Pennsylvania Catholic Church Sexual Abuse Lawyer
Key Findings
Most notable in the report were the high numbers of priests involved while actively preaching. Although the report cites over 1,000 child victims, the investigators believe that number to be much higher, likely in the thousands. Many senior church officials, from local bishops all the way up to the Pope, knew what was going on and what many of these priests were doing. Their coverup of the crimes were meant to deflect scandal, avoid any criminal charges the priests may have faced, and to steer clear of any monetary harm to the dioceses. When a priests was found to be sexually assaulting a child, instead of reporting it to the authorities, the priest was merely moved to another parish, with no one alerted at the new parish and none of the parishioners being told of the priest’s crimes.
Catholic Church Sexual Abuse Lawyer Pennsylvania
Recommendations
The grand jury made several recommendations to change Pennsylvania law. They suggested getting rid of any criminal statute of limitations for crimes of sexually abusing children. Pennsylvania law currently allows victims to file charges until they are 50 years old. The grand jury also felt there should be a longer timeframe for filing civil charges. Currently, Pennsylvania residents have 12 years from the time they turn 18 to file. The grand jury recommended adding an additional two years. Another suggestion was to make the law for reporting abuse clear, making it a duty to report when the abuser is likely to continue abusing.
Pennsylvania Catholic Church Sexual Abuse Lawyer
Finally, they suggested developing a new statute in regards to nondisclosure agreements. They felt that a victim should be able to talk to police at all times. This final suggestion came about because the Catholic Church had tried using confidentiality agreements to prevent victims of abuse from talking to anyone, including law enforcement.
Catholic Church Sexual Abuse Lawyer Pennsylvania