In late October 2019, the Colorado Attorney General released a list of 43 accused priests who were found to have sexually assaulted children between 1950 and the present.

Colorado AG Releases New List of Accused Priests

According to the recent report released by the Colorado Attorney General, at least 166 children were subject to sexual abuse by employees of Colorado’s three Catholic dioceses since 1950. However, less than one in ten cases of abuse were reported to the authorities. The report names 40 of the accused priests, as well as detailing what is known about whether they were investigated for the alleged abuses.

Many of the priests accused of sexual abuse moved to new dioceses or took jobs outside of the church following complaints from victims or their parents. However, the new dioceses or secular employers were rarely informed of the accusations against these priests.

In one case, a priest who was accused of sexually abusing a fifth-grade boy moved from Colorado to San Diego, where he taught at the San Diego College for Men for years without his past catching up to him. Rev. Walter Buetzler left the Pueblo Diocese in 1954 following complaints from the boy and his father, but there is no evidence that the diocese took any action against the priest before he left for San Diego.

Meanwhile, his victim was ignored by the Pueblo Diocese. According to the new report, the victim and parish members who brought complaints against Buetzler were told that these matters were not of concern to the diocese.

In 1990, almost 40 years following the alleged abuse, the victim reached out to the Pueblo Diocese in search of a financial settlement. However, he was told that such a settlement was impossible due to the statute of limitations regarding childhood abuse and that if he attempted to file a sexual abuse claim, the Pueblo Diocese would sue him.

However, due to recent updates to sexual abuse laws in several states, victims whose cases have expired under previous statutes of limitations may be able to file lawsuits against their abusers or the dioceses that harbored them, regardless of the time since the abuse occurred.

Sexual Assault Laws Updated

Many states including California, New York, North Carolina, New Jersey, and Washington have recently updated their sexual abuse laws.  Under these updates, the statutes of limitations have been increased to allow victims more time to file sexual abuse claims against their abusers.

Additionally, multiple states have opened look-back windows, or periods of time that are usually one or two years long and allow victims whose cases have expired to file charges against their abusers no matter how long ago the abuse occurred.

Victims of childhood abuse by Catholic priests or other Catholic diocese employees may be eligible to hire a qualified attorney and file a class action lawsuit. Victims may be able to collect compensation for their experiences and suffering, as well as holding these accused priests accountable for their actions.

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