Were You Abused?
Call Today: 1-866-777-2557
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 Tennessee 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 Tennessee
Reasons to call
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. Tennessee Priest Sexual Abuse Lawyer
Catholic dioceses in New York subpoenaed in sex abuse probe
A recent article in New York Magazine revealed a shocking fact: over 5% of US Catholic priests have been credibly accused of inappropriate sexual behavior, according to information provided by the Catholic church itself. The information comes from the watchdog site Bishop Accountability, which reports:
Tennessee Priest Sexual Abuse Lawyer
As of May 30, 2017, information published by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) indicates that the conference has counted 6,721 clerics "not implausibly" and "credibly" accused of sexually abusing minors in the period 1950 through June 30, 2016, with several gaps in the USCCB data. Out of the 116,690 priests who have worked in those years, the 6,721 priests accused of abusing children are 5.8% of the total.
This information is horrifying in any context. But it also has striking implications for the ongoing sexual abuse probe on New York State. That’s because New York has more Catholics than any other state other than California. It’s estimated that 7,000 priests have served in the state since the 1950s; 5% of that figure would be over 400.
Priest Sexual Abuse Lawyer Tennessee
The state’s attorney general recently subpoenaed records from all Catholic dioceses in the state, aiming to look into any internal investigation the church conducted, and any other details such as secret payoffs they provided to accusers. (In some areas church officials have offered offenders special payments as an enticement to retire early.)
A total of 86 priests have been credibly accused of sexual abuse in the state; if the patterns found in other states hold true, there are hundreds more who have not yet been exposed. Since the documents and the figure of 7000 priests cover multiple decades, many of the abusers who would be ultimately exposed are likely dead or retired.
Tennessee Priest Sexual Abuse Lawyer
And even for those who are not, it will be difficult to pursue lawsuits or criminal charges. That’s because of New York’s stringent statutes of limitations, which prevent most abuse victims from taking their abusers to court after they pass the age of 23. Victim’s advocates have fought hard to have the rules changes, but the church so far has opposed these efforts.
In 2016, Archbishop Timothy Dolan, head of the archdiocese, set up a victim compensation fund, which has so far paid out $40 million to victims who have come forward. This move has been critiqued by some as an attempt to “one by one, to pick off victims who might come forward and blow the whole sewer open.”
The current cultural climate is making it more possible to do just that. With the #metoo movement and the release of the PA grand jury report, survivors are more likely to band together and go public instead of accepting a payoff and moving on. The results of this investigation may not result in many criminal prosecutions, but they will strike a blow for the truth.
Priest Sexual Abuse Lawyer Tennessee
Copyright ©2020 Vanderhyde Law. All Rights Reserved. Please read our disclaimer and terms of use. The use of this website or contact forms does not create an attorney client relationship. Under our legal system, all parties mentioned in this website are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Attorney Advertising