Claims of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church have continued to rise as more states have expanded the statute of limitations for those who might have been harmed as children.

One former D.C. Archbishop has reportedly been associated with a claim of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church recently. According to an article in the Washington Post, at least seven more individuals claim that they suffered as boys via sexual abuse carried out by Theodore McCarrick. This individual is a former cardinal and archbishop from the D.C. area. The Church defrocked him earlier this year based on other allegations of sexual abuse.

Three sources stated that there are new accusations associated with further abuse of at least seven young boys that happened between 1970 and 1990. Additional allegations of sexual abuse committed against current and former seminarians were also reportedly sent to the Vatican recently.

One accuser shared with the Washington Post that many of the boys knew one another because they were frequent participants in fundraising trips to churches and donor homes nationwide.

According to those victims, this is when the sexual abuse occurred. When allegations of two of these boys became public last year, additional victims began to contact officials. These victims have stated that they have been cooperating with civil and Church investigators in addition to Vatican officials. According to reports, it is unlikely that the 89-year-old former archbishop will face any form of criminal prosecution for his alleged harassment and sexual abuse of youth.

An essay put together by the victims details information about the overnight fundraising related trips that happened between 1970 and 1990 in which the D.C. archbishop was accused of sharing a bed with at least one young Catholic boy on each trip.

The McCarrick story is of particular interest given that he was reverted to layperson status, the most significant punishment associated with abuse given to a Catholic cardinal in recent history.

The Vatican shared some information about their own investigation of his specific case stating that he solicited sex during confession and committed sins with adults and minors by abusing his power.

As many of the victims of the Roman Catholic Church sexual abuse scandal are still coming forward after coming to terms with what happened to them or being inspired by other victims who spoke out, the true toll of this problem is not yet known.

Some research has shown, though, that over 380 priests were named in abuse reports provided to the Church between 1990 and 2018. Those abuse reports involved claims of sexual abuse that involved over 600 children, most of whom were under the age of 18 at the time of the alleged incidents.

If you or someone you know was subjected to sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, you might be able to participate in a process to recover compensation. Scheduling a consultation with an experienced lawyer could be your next step. Victims might be contacted by the Church regarding a settlement offer based on abuse claims, but anyone involved in this should speak with a lawyer to confirm their rights and other options first.

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