More than 300 “predator priests” from six Catholic dioceses in Pennsylvania are credibly accused of sexually abusing at least 1,000 children since the 1940s.
What You Can Do & How We Can Help
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting sexual abuse induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been sexually abused by a Catholic priest, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Sexual Abuse Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
What is the Problem?
FBI agents found a specific protocol for dealing with reports of child sexual abuse in documents from the Pennsylvania Catholic diocese. A grand jury report described the church’s way of handling priests who sexually abused children as “a playbook for concealing the truth.”
Report Details Sexual Abuse by Over 300+ Priests in Pennsylvania Catholic Churches
Over 1,000 Children Sexually Abused
According to CNN, investigators believe that thousands of children were sexually abused, but in many cases, their records were lost or they were too afraid to come forward:
“Priests were raping little boys and girls, and the men of God who were responsible for them not only did nothing; they hid it all. For decades. Monsignors, auxiliary bishops, bishops, archbishops, cardinals have mostly been protected; many, including some named in this report, have been promoted.”
Sexual Abuse Covered Up by Catholic Diocese
The report identified over 1,000 victims from on 6 out of 8 Catholic dioceses in Pennsylvania, including: Allentown, Erie, Greensburg, Harrisburg, Pittsburgh and Scranton.
Pennsylvania’s two other dioceses, Philadelphia and Altoona-Johnstown, have been the subjects of earlier grand jury reports describing a widespread cover-up of child sexual abuse.
On August 1, the leader of one of the largest Roman Catholic dioceses in Pennsylvania released a list identifying 71 priests, deacons and seminarians accused of “substantiated” sexual misconduct since the 1940s.
Pennsylvania Lawmakers May Lift Statute of Limitations on Lawsuits
Lawmakers in Pennsylvania may eliminate the statute of limitations for sexual abuse lawsuits to age 50. The effort is led by Pennsylvania state Rep. Mark Rozzi, who has shared his account of being raped in a shower by a priest when in the 1980s, when he was 13 years old.
Do I have a Catholic Priest Sex Abuse Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Catholic Priest Sex Abuse induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been injured, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Defective Drug Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
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