Clergy Sexual Abuse: Get Help Today
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Author: Kathryn Kosmides
Survivor Advocate
Key Takeaways
- Clergy sexual abuse involves religious leaders using their positions of power and influence to groom mostly young children and sexually abuse and assault them, often over extended periods of time.
- Many religious organizations, including the Catholic, Scientology, and Mormon churches, have faced ongoing allegations of covering up incidents of clergy sexual abuse, protecting offenders, and minimizing harm to survivors.
- Victims of clergy sexual abuse have rights and options from reporting to law enforcement to filing a clergy sexual abuse lawsuit – which may be impacted by the statute of limitations. Reach out to Helping Survivors today and we can help you understand what steps you can take and connect you with an experienced clergy sexual abuse lawyer today.
Clergy sexual abuse is an especially egregious crime. Clergy members have used their positions of influence and authority to prey on victims. One of the largest clergy sexual abuse cases is sexual abuse in the Catholic Church by priests.
Meanwhile, many religious leaders have protected the abusers, concealed the abuse, and developed a culture and rules that make reporting incidents from the past difficult or impossible. But victims are now speaking up and seeking justice against those who abused them. Many are reporting sexual abuse that occurred decades ago.
Clergy abuse can occur in any religion including Christianity, Catholicism, Southern Baptist, Latter Day Saints (also known as Mormon), and Scientology churches (and others).
If you or someone you know has been impacted by clergy sexual abuse you have rights and options including filing a clergy sexual abuse lawsuit, reporting to law enforcement, and seeking healing through mental health support.
What Is Clergy Sexual Abuse?
Clergy sex abuse involves the violation of trust and the exploitation of vulnerable individuals by religious leaders. This abuse takes various forms, including:
- Sexual grooming
- Inappropriate touching
- Inappropriate sexual jokes or comments
- Sexual harassment
- Sharing or requesting nude or sexualized photos
- Sexual assault (including forced oral sex)
- Rape
If you believe a clergy member, including youth pastors, sexually abused or assaulted you or someone you know, you deserve to seek help. You can reach out to us today and we can help you explore your options.
- What Is Clergy Sexual Abuse?
- The History of Clergy Sexual Abuse
- If you are not sure where to turn, RAINN can help.
- How Prevalent is Clergy Sexual Abuse?
- Harmful Effects on Those Who Have Been Impacted by Clergy Sex Abuse
- Legal Considerations and Reporting Clergy Sex Abuse
- Support and Healing for Survivors of Clergy Sex Abuse
- Want To Speak With A Lawyer?
Long-Term Effects on of Childhood Clergy Sexual Abuse
Clergy sex abuse leaves deep and lasting emotional impacts on the often young victims.
We know that mostly young boys under 14 years of age are targeted by clergy sexual abuse. These young individuals often struggle with feelings of guilt, shame, anxiety, depression, and signs of post-traumatic stress disorder.
As they grow older, these negative impacts often get worse due to repressing the harm that happened to them and can disrupt their livelihoods including struggling with personal relationships, maintaining gainful employment, and their overall well being.
Individuals impacted by clergy sexual abuse often do not come forward to report the harm for many years – if ever. This happens for a variety of reasons including a fear of retaliation, a fear of not being believed, and concerns about damaging their family’s reputations if they speak up. Those impacted should know it is never their fault and it is never too late to seek help and healing.
History of Clergy Sexual Abuse
Clergy sex abuse is a long-documented issue within all religious institutions. Sexual abuse by clergy members happens for a variety of reasons
Most large religious organizations have faced allegations of covering up incidents of clergy sex abuse, protecting offenders, and minimizing the harm caused to survivors. This highlights the importance of holding institutions accountable for the actions of their clergy members.
In 1984, clergy sex abuse gained public attention when Father Gilbert Gauthe admitted to molesting dozens of boys in Lafayette, Louisiana. This was a notable case of child sex abuse in the state of Louisiana. While this is the first time a case got media attention, sexual abuse in the Catholic Church has been traced to the 1600s.
Cases of clergy sex abuse in Catholic churches have been well publicized, but other religious communities aren’t exempt. In 2007, three insurance companies received 260 reports of clergy sex abuse in Protestant churches compared to 228 in Catholic churches. Southern Baptist religious leaders have also been accused and convicted in clergy abuse lawsuits.
Reported cases of clergy sex abuse prompted the Maryland state legislature to pass a new law to protect and support victims. Other states have followed suit and enacted new laws to protect those victimized by clergy members of any religion.
As more individuals grow into adulthood, they are coming forward about the sexual abuse they suffered in various religious institutions from the Mormon Church to Scientology to being abused by youth pastors – which is newer position within religious institutions across the board.
These brave survivors have paved the way for others to come forward and seek help.
How Prevalent is Clergy Sexual Abuse?
The issue of clergy sex abuse is more widespread than many realize. Studies and statistics show that it affects various religious organizations and communities worldwide.
In the United States alone, more than 5,300 priests and other clergy members have been publicly accused of sexually abusing children with California, Massachusetts, New York, and Pennsylvania being the states with the largest number of accused clergy members.
The Archdiocese of Los Angeles files named 244 priests clergy members who have been credibly accused of sexual abuse by 656 individuals.
A study of French Catholic priests found almost 3,000 priests and members of the clergy engaged in sexual abuse since the 1950s. The estimated number of victims identified in the French Catholic Church was ~216,000 people with 80% of victims being young boys.
One study conducted in Germany found that 4.4% of clergy members had been accused of the sexual abuse of minors. The study showed victims were predominantly male (62.8 %) and children under the age of 14 were most likely to be victimized (66.7 %).
Despite increased awareness and efforts to address the problem, many survivors remain hesitant to come forward.
Rights and Options for Individuals Impacted Clergy Sexual Abuse
Those who have experienced clergy sexual abuse have experienced a deep trauma that can have lasting impacts on their lives. Given the inherent trust in clergy members and religious leaders, this form of harm can have lifelong impacts.
But – survivors of clergy sexual abuse deserve help, healing, and to seek justice and accountability. Every person defines these things differently but we want to share information about how to report clergy sexual abuse and information about filing a clergy sexual abuse lawsuit.
Both civil lawsuits and criminal offenses are governed by the statute of limitations – which is the amount of time you have to file a lawsuit or the state has to press criminal charges. Determining the statute of limitations can be complex depending on the state the harm happened in.
Helping Survivors works with experienced clergy sexual abuse lawyers who can help you understand the statute of limitations, answer your questions, and explain your rights and options. If you reach out to us, we can connect you with someone today.
File a Clergy Sexual Abuse Lawsuit
If you have experienced physical or sexual abuse by a clergy member, you may be entitled to file a civil lawsuit or participate in an existing one against the religious organization, the individual church/institution, and/or the individual(s) who caused or perpetuated harm.
Filing a clergy sexual abuse lawsuit allows an individual to seek monetary compensation for the harm that happened to them.
An experienced clergy sexual abuse lawyer will offer a free consultation and generally takes these types of cases on contingency – meaning there are no upfront costs to filing a clergy sexual abuse lawsuit and the firm is only compensated if and when you win.
Helping Survivors works with a variety of law firms around the country who can help you understand if filing a clergy sexual abuse lawsuit is possible and what this process looks like. You can reach out to us today to be put in touch with someone who can help.
Report Clergy Sexual Abuse to the State
Every religious institution is different in terms of if they offer the ability to report the abuse directly to the religious organization. For example, the Archdiocese of New York offers an online complaint form where individuals can report clergy sexual abuse.
However, given that is unclear how the report will be handled and the overall reputation religious institutions have for mishandling reports and retaliating against those who come forward, we highly recommend speaking to an experienced clergy sexual abuse lawyer prior to submitting an official report.
Additionally, many states offer ways for individuals to report clergy sexual abuse to state Attorney General directly. As an exmaple, Iowa offers an online form individuals can fill out and an investigator will follow up seeking more information.
This may or may not be the same as reporting to law enforcement – depending on the state and the institution that is overseeing these reporting systems. Again, we recommend reaching out to Helping Survivors who can put you in touch with an experienced clergy sexual abuse lawyer to help you understand what this process might entail and if this makes sense for you.
Report Clergy Sexual Abuse to Law Enforcement
Reporting the abuse to law enforcement can be a daunting task for individuals impacted by clergy sexual abuse for a variety of reasons. We understand that most survivors do not report immediately and that coming forward may take years.
If this was a recent experience and you are still under 18, we highly recommend telling a trusted adult such as a family member or a teacher. They can be an advocate for you and should only take steps that you are comfortable with.
If the abuse happened a long time ago, you still have a right to report the abuse to law enforcement. However, the ability of the state to prosecute the offense will depend on various factors, including the availability of evidence and the statute of limitations. However, reporting even if the offense can not be prosecuted can help create a paper trail should others come forward.
Helping Survivors can help you understand the process for reporting abuse to law enforcement should you wish to take this step.
Want To Speak With A Lawyer?
