Catholic Church Abuse
For decades, leaders of the Catholic Church in the United States succeeded in keeping its history of sexual abuse out of the media. Rather than reporting allegations of abuse to the proper authorities, church leaders chose instead to transfer priests to other parishes and ignore or pay off victims who came forward. The extent of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church was not revealed until the 1990s, when abuse cases against a Boston priest were made public.
It soon became clear that sexual abuse was a systemic problem within the Catholic Church – involving thousands of victims and more than 1,000 priests in archdioceses across the U.S. Many of these victims have sought justice against their perpetrators, and hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation has been paid out to victims by the Catholic Church.
The Effects of Catholic Church Abuse
Catholic Church abuse stole the innocence of thousands of children, many of whom have been haunted by the experience well into adulthood. In fact, sexual abuse is a trauma that causes tremendous and sometimes life-long pain and suffering for victims. Its effects often include:
- Fear, anxiety and mistrust of others
- Depression
- Self-destructive behaviors such as alcoholism or substance abuse
- Guilt
- Shame
- Sexual dysfunction
- Panic attacks
- Sleep issues
Priests and other officials of the Catholic Church are trusted religious figures, to whom children are especially vulnerable. Preying on this vulnerability for sexual gain is not only against their faith, it is also criminal and victims have a right to bring their perpetrator to justice.
Justice, Closure & Compensation
No amount of money can ever restore to a victim what he or she has lost, but as a form of restitution it can help victims find some closure. In the last decade or so, victims of Catholic Church abuse have received millions in restitution in addition to public apologies by church officials. You, too, may be owed an apology, and you may be entitled to compensation if you have suffered sexual abuse at the hands of a priest or Catholic Church official.
Contact Burke & Eisner about Catholic Church Abuse
At Burke & Eisner, we understand the sensitive nature of sexual abuse cases and confidentiality is our top priority. Contact our firm today for a complimentary private consultation with an experienced sex abuse attorney. We’ll be glad to hear about your circumstances and discuss your possible legal options.
Three ways to Contact Us:
-- Fill out the Contact Us form in the Upper Right part of this page.
-- Use the Contact Us form located on the Instant Answer Page
-- Call us: 1-800-838-0800
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