Three new lawsuits were filed against the Diocese of Pittsburgh and its current or former officials, alleging fraud and conspiracy in covering up alleged Catholic sex abuse cases.

Several priests and one cardinal from three different parishes were involved in the allegations, some dating back to the 1970s. One plaintiff, David R., filed his lawsuit against the diocese, as well as two church leaders, for concealing abuse against him by Rev. William P. O’Malley III. David alleges he was abused at the ages of 11 and 12 in the late 1970s.

Another of the Catholic sex abuse cases, filed by Heather T., alleges that she was abused by a number of church leaders between the ages of 5 and 13. She implicates Rev. Lawrence O’Connell, Rev. Edward Huff, and then-Bishop Bevilacqua.

According to the plaintiff, the allegation against late Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua occurred when he was bishop of Pittsburgh in the 1980s. He later went on to become an archbishop, and then cardinal—just one step below pope. The lawsuits filed by both David and Heather include claims for fraud and conspiracy.

Another lawsuit, filed by James S., alleges that he contacted the diocese in 2011 over abuse he suffered from ages 12 to 18, allegedly committed by Rev. John S. Hoehl. He says that the abuse has caused his loss of faith, loss of trust in Diocese leadership, and loss of trust in men.

These Catholic sex abuse cases have been drawn into litigation after a grand jury report was released last month telling of over  a thousand Catholic sex abuse cases in Pennsylvania, and the widespread cover-ups that followed.

The Pennsylvania Grand Jury’s Investigation of Catholic Sex Abuse Cases

A grand jury in Pennsylvania released a report in August over the Pennsylvania Catholic sex abuse cases, which looked into six of eight Pennsylvania dioceses.

The grand jury’s investigation found that more than 300 priests and other church leaders were reportedly involved in the Catholic sex abuse cases, committing sexual crimes against more than one thousand prepubescent and teenage children.

The Pennsylvania Catholic sex abuse investigation was wide-ranging, looking into priests’ actions over the last seven decades, but not all of the instances of abuse were decades ago. The grand jury also found instances of priests sexually assaulting victims in just the last ten years.

These Catholic sex abuse cases were covered up by the abusers as well as others in the church who looked the other way, the report indicates. “All of them were brushed aside, in every part of the state, by church leaders who preferred to protect the abusers and their institution above all,” the grand jury wrote.

The grand jury included the names of the alleged sex offenders and the ones who concealed the Catholic sex abuse cases uncovered through their investigation. The grand jury members, who spent two years investigating this abuse, unanimously declared that their report should be released, un-redacted.

“We listened as [the victims] poured out their hearts telling of the agony and torment they endured since being victimized,” wrote the grand jury panel of 20 members. “They had waited so long to be heard; they deserve to be heard and validated.”

If you or someone you love was sexually abused by a Catholic priest or other church leader, you may be able to join a Catholic church sex abuse lawsuit. Filing a lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering caused by sexual abuse, but it can help to provide some monetary compensation and bring those abusers to justice.