As victims have begun sharing their stories, the extent of the problem is coming to light. Victim compensation funds have been created in a number of different states, and many victims have already received settlements. 

But the controversy is far from over. Critics, including victims and their advocates, argue that the Catholic Church is not doing enough to fix the problem or punish the priests who assaulted parishioners, children and fellow clergy members. Victims and others want to know how many New York priests have been imprisoned for these crimes. 

Are Accused Priests Still Active in New York?

Some priests who have been accused of sexual abuse in New York may still be working in the church.

The New York Post reports that two priests accused of sexually abusing minors were allowed to continue serving in their official capacities. A lawsuit claims that the archdiocese was aware of the allegations against the two priests yet allowed them to remain in their positions, according to the Post.

A group of alleged victims filed the lawsuit against the Archdiocese of New York over its handling of reports the archdiocese received about Father Donald Timone and Monsignor John Paddack.

The plaintiffs claim that the Archdiocese of New York “concealed or misrepresented the sexually abusive histories” of the two priests.

The archdiocese maintains that neither man is currently serving in the ministry, and the allegations against them are being investigated. The archdiocese reportedly claims that it is investigating the allegations and has shared the claims with law enforcement.

The archdiocese denied has denied the allegation that the institution did not appropriately handle the reports of abuse. In a statement, according to the Post, the Archdiocese of New York said that “earlier claims against [the clergy members] were carefully investigated and reviewed, and were not found to be substantiated,” which may explain why the men had been allowed to keep their posts until recently.

How Many New York Priests Have Been Accused of Sexual Assault?

One of the first steps in untangling the sexual abuse scandal is determining how many New York priests have been accused of sexual abuse, though the total count may never be known. According to the BBC, critics continue to claim that the church has systematically covered up abuse allegations, reporting that “victims groups say the Vatican has not done nearly enough to right its wrongs.”  

The Archdiocese of New York published a list of accused priests, comprising more than 100 names as of February, according to PIX11.

According to The New York Times, the Diocese of Brooklyn alone named 100 credibly accused priests. It was “one of the largest disclosures yet in a torrent of lists recently published by the church,” according to the Times, which added that the Church’s handling of sexual abuse allegations has “drawn the scrutiny of law enforcement officials.”

The Brooklyn diocese is one of the Catholic Church’s largest, and the names on its list account for only some 5 percent of clergy who served during the time of the alleged abuse.

In many cases, accused priests have not ended up jail. Many of the accused priests are dead—unsurprising, as the accusations generally go back decade, with the victims who are coming forward are generally middle aged or older. Many were removed from ministry and laicized (meaning their clerical status was revoked as well), and others have been removed from ministry with an internal investigation still pending.

Fewer end up facing criminal charges—with time, as well as potential cover-ups within the church, evidence can be hard to come by. A 2009 study by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York and commissioned by the U.S. bishops’ National Review Board, found that “3 percent of all priests against whom allegations were made were convicted and about 2 percent received prison sentences.”

Even when priests do serve jail time, their names may not end up on a list of clergy members accused of abuse. In investigation found that more than 900 priests were left off of clergy-abuse lists, including those who had served time for a slew of sexual crimes.