In a recent Catholic Church sex abuse settlement, the diocese of Allentown, Pa. has resolved claims by a Reading man that he was molested as an altar boy.

Claimant Albert S. agreed to drop his lawsuit after reaching the Catholic church sex abuse settlement with the Pennsylvania diocese. According to the claim, Albert was sexually assaulted when he was 12 years old while serving as an altar boy the Holy Guardian Angels Church in Reading.

The alleged assaulted reportedly caused Albert to suffer years of self harm, alcohol and drug abuse due to the emotional trauma. In addition, Albert says he was also afraid that he would be condemned to Hell for actions that were not his fault.

Albert had initially sought counseling for posttraumatic stress disorder after serving with the United States Navy, with the military reporting Albert’s allegations to the Pennsylvania diocese in 2000. In response, the diocese had offered to pay for his therapy and Albert had initially accepted.

However, he soon rejected the offer because he was concerned about the potential motives of the church officials. Under the current Pennsylvania statute of limitations, Albert would have had to file a civil claim by 2007. He filed his claim in late August 2018 after a Pennsylvania grand jury released results of its investigation into allegations of sexual abuse in several Pennsylvania dioceses.

The report had found that over 1,000 children had allegedly suffered Catholic church sex abuse at the hands of 301 priests in six dioceses in Pennsylvania, including Allentown.

Overview of Catholic Church Sex Abuse Problems

Like most of the cases in the grand jury report, Albert’s case was beyond the statute of limitations, requiring his attorney to argue for tolling the limitations period. Albert’s attorney stated that his allegations for sexual abuse should not have expired, and that Pennsylvania law needed to change regarding this.

It is important to note that Allentown and other dioceses have not reached a Catholic church sex abuse settlement in many other cases. Instead, the Pennsylvania dioceses have reportedly provided treatment for victims alleging sexual abuse from church officials over the past few decades.

While the exact amount for the Catholic church sex abuse settlement was not disclosed, the Albert’s attorneys state that he is “ecstatic” with this outcome, according to an article in The Morning Call. The diocese offered no further comment on the matter.

Other dioceses have taken similar action as Allentown, by stating they would contribute money for a compensation fund designated to sexual abuse survivors.

Many of these survivors have pushed for legislators to open a window of two years in their statute of limitations, allowing older lawsuits to be filed. The proposed legislation was passed by the state House of Representatives but did not pass in the Senate.

The grand jury recommended other provisions that would increase the likelihood of survivors filing legal action including:

• Abolishing the statute of limitations for survivors of childhood sex abuse
• Implement penalties against people who fail to report child abuse
• Prevent law enforcement officials from making “non disclosure” or confidentiality agreements in exchange for dismissing sex abuse lawsuits

If you or a loved one was the victim of sex abuse by a Catholic priest or church leader in Pennsylvania, legal help is available. You may qualify to file a Catholic Church sex abuse lawsuit. Fill out the FREE form on this page for more information.

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