Three plaintiffs have come forward with Catholic clergy abuse lawsuits against the Diocese of Rockville Center, claiming they were victimized as children. Rockville Center, located a few miles southeast of the New York City borough of Queens, is the sixth-largest Catholic diocese in the nation, boasting 1.5 million parishioners. The plaintiffs, now in their sixties, claim they suffered sexual abuse at the hands of the late Bishop John McGann, who served in the Diocese from its founding in 1957 until his death in 2002.

Allegations of Catholic Clergy Abuse Go Back Almost Six Decades

One plaintiff claimed the abuse began in 1963 when McGann was serving as the personal secretary for his predecessor, Bishop Walter Kellenberberg. The abuse allegedly continued into the mid-1970s, before McGann was named Bishop of Rockville Centre. Two of the alleged victims are brother and sister, the former of whom currently lives in South Carolina, with the other residing in Minnesota. The third victim remains in New York.

The Minnesota plaintiff told a local newspaper that McGann assaulted her in 1967 when she was 11 years old. She said McGann and two other priests were drinking at a Christmas party that year at the rectory of St. Agnes Church. McGann abused her first. Two of the lawsuits name Monsignor Edward Melton and Reverend Robert Brown, along with a sexton named John Hanlon. Her brother states that he was the victim of four acts of abuse, starting in 1963 when he was 10. The third plaintiff says she was also at the 1967 Christmas party and was also abused by Melton and Brown. Her abuse, which began in 1966, continued until 1971 when she was 15.

In total, the plaintiffs claim they were victims of 20 acts of sexual molestation.

Melton and Brown died in 1994.

Nearly 400 Others Claim Catholic Clergy Abuse

The three current plaintiffs are far from the only ones to come forward. Over the past two years, the Diocese of Rockville Centre has received almost 400 complaints from former parishioners who claim they were molested by members of the clergy. So far, it has paid out over $50 million to claimants. In a press statement, the diocese said it is “fully committed to the protection of minors, and undergoes an annual independent audit to evaluate compliance with required child protection practices.”

According to the website ChildSexAbuse.org, approximately fifty clergymen who have served the Rockville diocese have been credibly accused of sexually molesting children.

Catholic Clergy Abuse Victims Get Help From New Legislation

Although the alleged incidents of abuse took place over a half-century ago, these plaintiffs and others have been able to file claims thanks to the New York State Child Victims Act, which allows alleged victims one year to pursue lawsuits, regardless of when the abuse allegedly occurred. Although the perpetrators are long deceased, the diocese can still be held accountable for their crimes – and while victims can never fully recover from such childhood trauma, they can at least be compensated for their suffering.

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