After the #MeToo movement and a major Pennsylvania grand jury report, stories of Catholic sexual abuse made headlines. New data offered by the Catholic church indicates that in the 2018–2019 audit year, the number of Catholic sex abuse cases have increased threefold from the previous year, according to ABC News.

This trend of increased reports of sexual assaults allegations and lawsuits related to them may continue. Many states around the country have aimed to give victims of sexual abuse increased opportunity to seek justice against their abusers by increasing the statute of limitations on criminal and civil sexual abuse lawsuits and opening look back windows.

This rising trend in sexual abuse allegations has been present in the last couple of years, with the number of abuse allegations jumping from 693 in 2017 to 1,451 in 2018. In 2019, that number jumped substantially higher when it reached 4,434.

The new report issued by the Church involved 2,982 clergy and other church employees. Of these Catholic sex abuse cases, 1,034 had been substantiated. The others were unable to be proven or were still being investigated, according to the report.

Many of the new lawsuits filed relate to alleged abuse that occurred many years ago. Largely, this new influx of old cases is made possible by recent legal changes in several states giving victims more time to file abuse lawsuits against their abusers and institutions that may have been involved.

Some states all across the country have implemented look-back windows that allow victims to file old claims even if the statute of limitations otherwise has already passed.

Most of the older lawsuits being brought forward are from men between the ages of 40 and 60 who say that they were abused by church officials or staff when they were children decades ago.

These allegations have had a profound impact on the church. Dioceses and other entities within the Catholic Church paid around round $281.6 million to contend with legal fees, allegations, and compensation paid to victim in Catholic sex abuse cases in 2019.

Additionally, many Catholic dioceses have established compensation funds in attempt to settle some abuse Catholic sex abuse cases out of court.

Reportedly, the Catholic Church is making efforts to identify instances of abuse and stop them before they occur. Now, more background checks are being conducted on clergy and staff, while church members are receiving training on how identify abuse or its possible warning signs. In 2002, U.S. bishops developed procedures to help deal with sexual abuse allegation, but some processes, like background checks, reportedly have evolved.

However, critics worry that these steps are insufficient to protect parishioners from abuse. Additionally, many critics still worry that the church may not be coming forward with all knowledge of abuse.

The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) noted that only 60 percent of parishes were reported to be conducting internal safety evaluates, reported ABC. Some may worry that there may not be sufficient safety measures in place to protect individuals.

The Survivors Network reportedly stated that they believed that abuse should not be kept within the church, even if there is an internal process for reporting it. Instead, SNAP states that it believes that instances of abuse should be investigated by state attorney generals and other officials. 

After a groundbreaking 2018 Pennsylvania grand jury report uncovered the abuse of around 1,000 children by more than 300 priests, Catholic dioceses across the country began being investigated for instances of sexual abuse, explains the Salt Lake Tribune. Many people worry that that the church actively covered up abuse allegations for many years, putting its reputation over the safety of parishioners.

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