A group of seven individuals who allege that they were sexually abused as children by Catholic priests have reportedly filed a lawsuit against the Vatican itself, alleging that the governing body of the Roman Catholic Church had a secret policy that allowed a culture of Catholic priest sex abuse to thrive.

The suit was filed after the statute of limitations for such allegations was temporarily lifted in New York under the Child Victims Act. The Act took effect back in August, paving the way for countless people whose potential lawsuits had previously timed out of the statute of limitations.

Under the Act, victims who were sexually abused as children—even if the abuse took place years or even decades ago—now have a one-year period to file litigation. Even after this one-year period is over, the CVA will continue to extend the statute of limitations for child sex abuse victims until the age of 55 for civil suits. After the CVA went into effect, hundreds of claims of childhood sexual abuse were reportedly filed on just the first day.

The policy in question, known as the “pontifical secrecy” rule, was reportedly meant to protect the privacy of victims, as well as the reputations of people who were accused. Papal documents recently lifted the restrictions on abuse victims to speak out about these allegations, hoping to improve transparency within the church, as well as allow police and other authorities better access to information from the Church.

“The Holy See’s secrecy policy enabled and emboldened child sexual predators among clergy working in the dioceses, creating an environment and system which they could engage in child sexual abuse with impunity,” the lawsuit alleges.

The seven plaintiffs allege that as children, they were sexually abused by clergymen belonging to New York state Dioceses. One of the plaintiffs claims that they were just 9 years old when this alleged abuse took place. According to the plaintiffs, the Vatican and bishops had long been aware that members of its clergy were sexual predators, and the secrecy policy essentially “fostered a child sex ring in the Church.”

The plaintiffs in this new Catholic priest sex abuse lawsuit against the Vatican are seeking status as a class action. Plaintiffs may face some difficulties with this litigation as, under U.S. law, the Vatican is its own sovereign entity and therefore is not subject to U.S. courts.

“The Holy See is treated by the United States as a sovereign state and so suing a sovereign entity is difficult,” said Marci Hamilton, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania and the CEO of Child USA. “It’s always a long shot.”

If you are a victim of the Roman Catholic sexual abuse scandal—even if that abuse occurred years or decades ago—you may be eligible to join the growing number of Catholic priest sex abuse cases and receive compensation.

This article is not legal advice. It is presented
for informational purposes only.