Clergy Sexual Abuse: Get Help Today
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Author: Kathryn Kosmides
- 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.
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.
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.
Rights and Options for Individuals Impacted by 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.
How a Clergy Sexual Abuse Lawyer Can Help Today
Experiencing sexual abuse by a clergy member can have lifelong effects on those impacted – with many individuals never telling anyone about the harm they experienced.
Whether from shame, guilt, or fear – individuals may feel they cannot tell anyone about being a victim of clergy sexual abuse for a variety of reasons. It is well known that victims of sexual abuse often do not come forward for decades – which is why many states around the nation are changing the criminal and civil statute of limitations to help those impacted by sexual abuse seek justice and accountability through these systems.
Whether you are just exploring your rights and options or are ready to take the step of filing a clergy sexual abuse lawsuit, an experienced church abuse lawyer can help you be informed and empowered.
An attorney experienced in priest and clergy abuse lawsuits can help with:
- Collecting and preserving evidence related to the abuse
- Assisting in drafting and submitting formal complaints to religious oversight agencies
- Reporting the abuse to law enforcement, if it has not already been done
- Filing a sexual abuse lawsuit against the clergy member or religious institution on your behalf
- Handling all communications with the religious organization, their legal representatives, and the courts
- Negotiating with the religious organization or its insurers for a potential settlement
- Representing you in all court appearances related to the case
Every law firm that Helping Survivors works with provides free consultations for priest or clergy sexual abuse claims. They will help you understand your legal rights and options and if you choose to move forward, can represent you on contingency meaning there are no upfront costs to hiring them and filing a clergy sexual abuse lawsuit.
We can connect you to an experienced clergy sexual abuse lawyer today – so you don’t have to find one yourself as we have a network of experienced and compassionate attorneys ready to help you today.
How Prevalent is Clergy Sexual Abuse?
Sexual abuse by clergy members is more widespread than many realize. Studies and statistics show that it affects various religious organizations and communities worldwide.
Most large religious organizations have faced allegations of covering up incidents of clergy and priest 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.
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.
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.
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.
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. Helping Survivors is here to help those impacted take the first step to understand their rights and options so they can be informed and empowered.
Priest & Clergy Sexual Abuse Lawsuit FAQs
Survivors of priest abuse or other forms of clergy abuse likely experienced this harm years ago and are unsure of their rights and options. Whether you experienced harm recently or decades ago, we’re here to help you be informed and empowered to take the next step in your journey.
These are the most frequently asked questions by those impacted by clergy sexual abuse.
What is clergy misconduct?
Clergy misconduct can constitute a variety of inappropriate and unwanted behaviors including emotional, physical, financial, and sexual abuse.
Clergy sexual misconduct often begins with sexually grooming individuals to build their trust and alter their thought processes in order to abuse and manipulate the individual – often a young person.
Examples of clergy misconduct can include:
- Inappropriate touching
- Inappropriate comments
- Sexual harassment
- Molestation
- Sexual Assault (including forced oral sex)
- Rape
If you or someone you know experienced any form of clergy misconduct, you have rights and options to seek help and healing.
When should I speak to a clergy abuse lawyer?
If you experienced any form of clergy or priest abuse, we recommend speaking to an experienced clergy sexual abuse attorney as soon as possible.
Whether the harm happened recently or decades ago, you have legal rights and options. These options will vary depending on the facts and circumtances including the state’s civil and criminal statute of limitations – which is the amount of time after an incident legal action can be taken.
Each state’s statute of limitations vary and only an experienced lawyer can fully help you understand the laws and your options.
Will it be public information if I file a clergy sexual assault lawsuit?
A lawyer may be able to file your case “under seal” to prevent your information from being public information based on your desires and the local laws.
What are the potential outcomes of a clergy abuse lawsuit?
While there is no fixed amount for what a clergy abuse lawsuit might be worth, the potential compensation from damages and the time required to resolve the claims can vary based on the nature of the abuse and the specific circumstances surrounding the case.
An attorney experienced in clergy abuse cases can help estimate potential damages by considering current and future expenses, financial losses, and their knowledge of past settlements in similar cases.
Although many factors can affect the value of your claim and the final settlement or award from the court, it is always beneficial to seek a free consultation with a knowledgeable attorney about your situation.
Helping Survivors can connect you with an experienced attorney today if you get in touch with us.
How much does it cost to hire a clergy abuse lawyer?
A majority of clergy sexual abuse lawsuits are taken on contingency.
Hiring a lawyer on contingency means that there are no upfront costs to pursuing a clergy abuse claim as the law firm is compensated a percentage of the settlement or court-awarded damages.
How long do I have to file a clergy sexual abuse lawsuit?
The ability to file a clergy sexual assault lawsuit depends on the civil statute of limitations in the state the harm occurred. You should immediately get in touch with an experienced attorney even if you believe the statute of limitations may have expired as there may be laws or parameters that are not clear to those without the knowledge of the law.
How do I find an experienced clergy sexual abuse attorney?
Many law firms and websites offer services to survivors of clergy abuse, but Helping Survivors stands out as one of the few organizations that collaborates with experts, advocates, nonprofits, and multiple law firms to ensure survivors have access to the best resources tailored to their specific needs.
It’s important to work with a law firm that has extensive experience with clergy abuse cases and prioritizes a survivor-centered approach to make the process as smooth as possible for you. We can connect you with an experienced law firm, no matter where you’re located in the United States, ensuring you have skilled legal representation as you decide how to move forward.
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