Can you sue the Catholic Church?

Can the Catholic Church be sued?

The Catholic church has been forced to answer for the terrible abuse that its priests committed and that its leadership covered up for the previous 20 years. Thousands of people who experienced sexual assault as children have come forward to demand justice for the trauma they sustained.

The damage that clergymen caused to helpless infants cannot be undone. Now, the best course of action for an abuse victim pursuing justice is to get legal counsel and file a civil lawsuit.

If you have been abused, you are entitled to financial recompense. You can get our assistance in bringing a lawsuit against the Catholic diocese where the abuse took place. To start with, get in touch with our office to schedule a free consultation.

Child Sexual Abuse Occurred in Many Settings

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There Have Been Numerous Bombshell Reports of Clergy Abuse

After the Boston Globe conducted a thorough investigation in 2002, attention was drawn to sexual abuse within the Catholic church. This story made it public that the Catholic church had long tolerated the abuse of one priest.

Soon after, disturbing news about the extent of sexual abuse started to come out of almost every diocese in the country.

4,000 priests were accused of abuse over 50 years, according to a report commissioned by the Vatican in 2004. The number of priests who had been charged was greatly understated in this report, which came out soon after news of the huge cover-up broke.

The severity of the issue was made clear in a 2018 Pennsylvania grand jury report, which found that over 300 priests in the state were under investigation for allegations of sexual abuse. The investigation detailed abuse spanning more than 70 years.

The full scope of what occurred is now being discovered as dioceses are compelled to release their archives in response to lawsuits and inquiries. There is still more data to come to light.

Abuse of children by adults in the Chicago Archdiocese

Actually, the Archdiocese of Chicago was one of the first in the nation to make an effort to improve. However, a lengthy history of abuse cannot be undone despite these attempts. Cardinal Joseph Bernardin was actually accused of sexually molesting a kid despite taking decisive action to address the abuse issue.

The McCormack incident was one of the most heinous cases of sexual abuse in Chicago. In this instance, a priest was accused of abusing two boys over the course of four years. The cardinal did not dismiss McCormack from his position even after being informed of the accusations.

Eventually, McCormack was accused of a crime, but the prosecution was unable to proceed for want of sufficient proof. There was no attempt made by the Chicago archdiocese to work with law enforcement.

Rev. Michael Pfleger was recently charged with sexual assault. The Catholic church carried out its own inquiry and discovered no proof that the priest had committed the alleged crimes. He was removed from his position throughout the investigation and then returned.

The Chicago Police Department was conducting an investigation as of the time of publication. Three alleged victims in total came forward, and according to their attorneys, they provided a “staggering” amount of evidence.

Pope Francis Has Vowed That Abuse Survivors Can Get Justice

In the past, when there have been numerous allegations of priest abuse, church authorities have either remained silent or have scarcely intervened. Even the revered Pope John Paul II remained largely inactive and did little to remedy the situation.

Pope Benedict also neglected to speak out vehemently (he recently apologized for the way that he handled four abuse cases before he was elected pope).

According to Pope Francis, the Catholic church will no longer tolerate child sexual abuse. The pope was in charge of changing canon law to redefine sexual abuse and make it a crime. It had been about 40 years since the last significant revision to canon law.

Church Authorities Looked the Other Way for Decades

Church leaders made every effort for many years to conceal the prevalence of sexual abuse and assault. When kids had the opportunity to speak up and complain, they hardly ever received justice. Instead, the Catholic Church made every effort to safeguard itself and try to solve the issue.

Transferring the clergyperson to a new parish within the diocese was the most popular strategy. In other dioceses across the country, some clergy members who had abused people in the past came back and were free to abuse new people without being punished for their past crimes.

All but one thing was done by the Catholic church. The coverup frequently reached the highest levels of the dioceses and the archbishop. Even cardinals choose to defend the church over all else, choosing not to defend innocent and defenseless children.

The Catholic Church Is Liable for Child Sexual Abuse

In most cases, a personal injury claim against the Catholic Church is treated the same as a claim against any other employer.

When an employee is acting within the bounds of their employment, the employer is legally liable for the employee’s activities. So, the question of whether you can bring a lawsuit against the Catholic Church is answered with a yes. The Catholic church may be sued as long as the priest was employed by a diocese.

Despite the fact that it is against the law for clergy members to harm children, they frequently work with young people. That is what they do. As a result, workplace sexual abuse falls under the definition of employment and the Catholic church may be held accountable.

Sexual Abuse Cases Against the Catholic Church

Despite the Catholic church’s efforts to respond more firmly, claims of sexual abuse continue to be raised. However, the majority of the current accusations center on cases from the past. Over 2,700 priests were the targets of nearly 4,000 abuse claims between July 1 and June 30, 2020. A few of these allegations have to do with active investigations.

If they do so before the statute of limitations expires, abuse victims may file a civil lawsuit against the Catholic church. Whether the priest who is accused of the abuse has admitted to it or is even still alive is irrelevant.

You might be entitled to financial compensation if you can demonstrate with a preponderance of the evidence that you were molested by a member of the Catholic church.

Time Limits for Illinois Lawsuits Have Been Expanded

Many victims in the past were prevented from suing the Catholic church because of the statute of limitations. The time for victims to file a lawsuit was short, often just a few years after they turned 18.

For others who didn’t want to come out at such a young age or didn’t remember the abuse, this was not enough time. The Catholic Church was able to escape accountability for decades of startling and abhorrent behavior up until the point at which states started to extend the statute of limitations to provide victims a longer period of time to file a lawsuit.

The victim had 10 years from the moment they turned 18 to initiate a case under the previous Illinois law. When the victim turned 18 or 20, years after they realized (or should have realized) that they had been abused, the law was altered accordingly.

Lawsuits for Child Sexual Abuse in Illinois

Under Illinois law, you are entitled to compensation for a personal injury caused by another person.The sum of settlements paid has exceeded hundreds of millions of dollars in Chicago alone.

Abused children are still coming forward to share their tales and file lawsuits for actions that took place when they were children. You may bring a case against the Catholic Church if the deadline has passed.

Settlements of Clergy Abuse Lawsuits

By the end of 2021, the Chicago archdiocese had settled legal claims against the Catholic church for more than $200 million. This number is expected to increase as more litigants come forward with allegations of abuse.

In several cases, the compensation sums have varied. The typical settlement ranges between $500,000 and $2,000,000. The precise amount you would get would depend on the losses you have endured as well as the resources available to cover your settlement.

Repressed Memory Victims Have Legal Options

For certain people who experienced abuse more than 20 years ago, the legislation offers some significant relief. Even though the statute of limitations is a strict rule, there are some exceptions for people who have blocked out memories.

Many abused victims don’t become aware of their abuse until much later in life. When you don’t want to remember something, the law doesn’t punish you and you can’t sue for money.

The statute of limitations starts to run once you realize or should have realized that you were being mistreated. However, the statute of limitations may prevent a lawsuit if sexual abuse victims wait too long, despite clear proof that they may have been harmed.

How to Get Compensation for Sexual Abuse Financially

The Catholic Church has been approached by sex assault victims in two different ways regarding financial compensation. A class action lawsuit was brought by a few victims against the Catholic church as a whole. The defendant was identified as the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

The following was claimed in the lawsuit:

Assault

criminal negligence

“Emotional angst

Unjustified death

The Catholic Church itself was sued for violating federal racketeering laws. Furthermore, the Holy See was listed as a defendant in a sexual abuse lawsuit in one litigation.

Most claimants have taken legal action against the actual diocese (or archdiocese) where the sexual abuse took place. Through its many dioceses, the Catholic Church in this nation has so far paid out almost $3 billion in settlements and judgments.

Compensation for Abuse by a Catholic Priest

When you bring a legal lawsuit against the Catholic church, you could be awarded the following damages:

There are medical charges for all of your treatment fees (including mental health therapy).

Your melancholy and anxiety have caused you pain and suffering.

Lost wages if the abuse prevented you from working or decreased how much you could earn.

Emotional discomfort and trauma

the inability to enjoy life.

Punitive damages have been awarded to some plaintiffs in a Catholic church dispute. In more than one case, the diocese argued against the accusations in civil court, and the jury listened to what they had to say.

The conduct of clergy members and church leaders in cases of sexual abuse has horrified some juries. Punitive damages have been awarded against the Catholic Church. If the case is settled, the Catholic church will not, however, pay punitive damages. Given how juries have acted in these situations, it is often best for the defendants to settle the claims.

How an injury attorney can assist you

A personal injury lawyer can help you with your claim of child sex abuse by doing the following:

The circumstances of your case will be thoroughly investigated by an attorney.

They’ll take legal action on your behalf.

Your lawyer might try to settle your lawsuit.

If your case goes to court, your lawyer will try to prove your side of the story and explain your civil action to the jury.

Your matter will be discussed with you by our legal team in a composed and considerate manner. We will find out more about you and pinpoint any legal concerns that could impact your lawsuit against the Catholic Church.

To receive a free case evaluation, contact an attorney.

Call Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers at (800) 424-5757 or send us an email to learn more about your legal options for a Catholic church case. You can arrange a free consultation to learn how you might be able to receive compensation in clergy abuse lawsuits. You can hold the Catholic church liable for sex abuse through legal action.

We’re waiting to hear from you and our legal team. Plaintiffs are not required to pay any fees unless they are awarded compensation.

Call us right now to have a private consultation and kick off our lawyer-client relationship. We advise contacting an expert attorney as soon as possible because the entire procedure can be time-consuming and challenging.