In a report released in May, the United States Roman Catholic Church says it has received more than double the average amount of allegations in the past year regarding child sex abuse by clergy members.

The report was released by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Secretariat of Child and Youth Protection. According to the report, from July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018, 1,385 adults filed complaints with the U.S. Roman Catholic Church regarding 1,455 allegations of abuse. In the previous year, 693 allegations were filed.

According to the church, the increase is most likely due to the victim compensation programs recently implemented in several New York state dioceses. Additionally, the number of future allegations is expected to continue to rise as more victims file their complaints with dioceses and victim compensation programs.

In the same time period, the Church also stated that they have spent more than $300 million on child protection actions and victim compensation payouts. This amount is 14 percent higher than the previous year, and is also expected to rise as more victims come forward with allegations regarding accused priests.

Victim Compensation Programs

Following a Pennsylvania grand jury report released in August 2018, Catholic dioceses in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York have started victims compensation programs. The grand jury report included the names of more than 300 accused priests in Pennsylvania. The sexual abuse allegations spanned several decades and identified around 1,000 victims.

Most of the abuses in the report occurred between 1960 and 1990, and 90 percent of the accused priests are either dead or have already been removed from the ministry. Despite the inability to prosecute many of these priests for their crimes, many victims say they just want their stories to be heard.

In addition to instituting victims compensation programs, many dioceses have also set up hotlines and confidential reporting systems. Victims and advocacy programs are encouraging the church to forward on all credible accusations to local law enforcement.

Avenues for Victims

In addition to the recently implemented victims compensation programs at many New York state dioceses, New York victims of childhood sexual abuse by Catholic priests may now also be able to file charges against their accusers. The Child Victims Act, signed into law in February 2019, allows victims of childhood sexual abuse to file criminal charges against their abusers until age 28, and civil charges until 55 . Additionally, the Act allows a one-year look back window for victims whose cases had expired under the previous laws.

If you or a loved one was the victim of childhood sexual abuse by a priest or other member of the Catholic clergy, you may be eligible to hire an attorney and file a class action lawsuit to pursue compensation. Victims may be able to recoup damages for pain and suffering, medical expenses for counseling, and other costs due to their abuse.

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