Colorado priest abuse, other sex abuse lawsuit investigation

Colorado Sex Abuse: Who’s Affected?

Colorado recently passed a law opening up a three-year window for certain sex abuse victims to sue institutions that hired perpetrators as employees or as volunteers. As a result, individuals who were abused as children by someone affiliated with an institution or organization but were previously barred from suing because the statute of limitations had passed may now have a chance to take legal action against those responsible. The institutions that employed the abusers may have culpability for participating in a cover-up.

What is the new Colorado child sex abuse survivor law?

On July 6, 2021, Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed into law SB21-088. The Colorado law expands the rights of survivors of child sex assault that was perpetrated by individuals affiliated with institutions that failed to stop the abuse. Survivors will have the ability to pursue legal claims and bring their sexual assault cases against institutions, governmental entities, and other organizations with youth programs that allegedly concealed or failed to stop sexual abuse perpetrated by their employees and/or volunteers.

Under the previous law, after survivors turned 18, they had only six years to sue their abusers. The law barred retroactive claims. The new childhood sexual abuse law provides a three-year window for child sex abuse survivors for whom the statute of limitations had passed so they now have until January 2025 to file a lawsuit against an institution for sexual abuse perpetrated by an employee or volunteer of the institution between 1960 through 2022. Awards to sexual abuse survivors will be capped at $1 million from private entities and $387,000 from governmental entities. Now, those who were abused as minors will be able to sue institutions that covered up sex abuse.

The director of public affairs for the Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault, Raana Simmons told The Colorado Sun, “[o]ur civil legal system is the single system designed to provide victims with the financial resources they need to heal from emotional, physical, and mental trauma. Through this bill, childhood sexual abuse survivors will have access to the civil legal system and hold the institutions accountable who, at best, were complicit in the abuse and, at worst, participatory in shielding serial sex offenders from accountability.”

If you are a survivor of institutional sexual abuse in Colorado, please submit your information now to see if you qualify for a free case review.

Colorado is one of several states that have recently expanded their sexual abuse laws.

What does the Colorado sex abuse law mean for survivors?

Survivors of childhood sexual abuse that was perpetrated by employees or volunteers of institutions and organizations are now able to file civil lawsuits, even if the abuse occurred decades ago. Previously, survivors only had six years from the time they turned 18 to bring abuse allegations in a civil lawsuit. This includes those abused by Catholic priests. 

In many cases, due to the trauma and feelings of shame (even though it is no way their fault), it takes survivors of childhood sexual assault years to come forward with their allegations of abuse. Unfortunately, by the time they are ready to take legal action and seek financial assistance for psychological care, the Colorado sex abuse statute of limitations may have already passed. 

Under the new Colorado law, survivors will have the opportunity to file a civil sexual abuse lawsuit against the institutions that either concealed the sexual abuse or failed to take steps to stop it. The survivors may be able to recover significant compensation to help pay for any medical expenses, therapy costs, emotional distress, and other damages related to the sexual abuse.

Churches, schools, sports organizations, and other organizations with youth programs can now be held accountable for abuse that occurred decades ago. Some of these organizations have allegedly covered up the sexual violence that was perpetrated by employees and/or volunteers and have not been held accountable.

Institutions and organizations such as the Catholic Church, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Boy Scouts of America, USA Swimming, the YMCA, and others have already faced serious allegations of child sexual abuse of children involved in their programs.

If you are a survivor of sex abuse perpetrated by someone affiliated with an organization in Colorado, submit your information now to find out if you’re eligible to take legal action.

Colorado clergy abuse report

In 2019, a report was released by investigators that detailed the abuse cases of 166 children by 43 abusive priests in the Colorado Catholic church across the three Colorado dioceses:

• Archdiocese of Denver
• Colorado Springs Diocese
• Pueblo Diocese

The investigation was commissioned by Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser and conducted by former U.S. Attorney Bob Troyer. However, the report was widely criticized because it contained a large amount of information that was provided by the Roman Catholic Church. The church was also unable to provide solid evidence that there was no longer any abuse taking place by a clergy member.

A supplemental report released by the Colorado Attorney General’s office identified nine more diocesan priests and 46 additional children who were victims of child sexual abuse, the Denver Post reported.

Priests named in the reports include Father Charles Woodrich, who also went by Father Woody. He founded a homeless shelter in Denver and was known as Denver’s patron saint of the poor. Other priests named in the report include Father Joseph Walsh, Father James Moreno, Father Kenneth Funk, Daniel Kelleher, and Gregory Smith. 

Join a Colorado sexual abuse lawsuit investigation

If you are a survivor of sexual abuse perpetrated in Colorado by someone affiliated with an institution or organization, it is not too late for you to take legal action. However, the amount of time available to file a sexual abuse lawsuit may be limited.

Please fill out the form on this page for a free case evaluation. You may be able to hold the institution accountable for failing to stop the abuse and seek compensation for emotional distress, therapy costs, and other damages.