More than 150 Catholic clergy members sexually abused at least 600 children over a 60-year period, according to a report recently released by the Maryland Attorney General. The report details the results of an investigation into the Archdiocese of Baltimore that found that the sexual abuse of minors occurred from the 1940s through 2002 while church leadership “looked the other way.”
The Maryland report follows numerous investigations into clergy sexual abuse at archdioceses across the United States. In 2022, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) launched an investigation into sexual abuse by Roman Catholic priests in New Orleans. In 2018, Pennsylvania’s Attorney General revealed findings of abuse of children by priests and a systematic cover-up by senior church leaders in the state and the Vatican.
Recent Clergy Sex Abuse Cases
In 2023 alone, Catholic priests in multiple states were accused, charged, or sentenced for sexual abuse, including the following.
- Wisconsin — In April, authorities announced that defrocked Catholic cardinal Theodore McCarrick was charged with sexually assaulting an 18-year-old man in 1977. The accuser said McCarrick began abusing him when he was 11 years old. McCarrick was removed from the priesthood in 2019 after an investigation by the Vatican found he had molested both minors and adults.
- Michigan — In March, a priest of the Archdiocese of Detroit was sentenced for raping a second grader in 2004. The child attended a Catholic school connected to the parish where Joseph “Jack” Baker served as pastor. Baker was sentenced to three to 15 years in prison after being convicted in 2022 for sexual penetration with a person under age 13.
- Colorado — In January, a fifth alleged victim of former Catholic priest Tim Evans filed suit against his alleged abuser and the Archdiocese of Denver. The survivor claims that the priest abused him more than 100 times from 1999 to 2003, beginning when the boy was 13 and ending when he was 18. Evans was previously convicted of sexual crimes against minors and was granted parole in 2020.
Church Sex Abuse Lawsuits
If you were sexually assaulted by a priest or other clergy member, you may be entitled to financial compensation. Regardless of whether the abuser has faced criminal charges, you may qualify to file a civil sexual assault claim. .
Whether you experienced sexual assault as a child or an adult, the personal injury attorneys at Altman & Altman LLP have the compassion and expertise to help evaluate your legal options. We have worked on numerous clergy sex abuse claims and know how to investigate these types of cases. In addition, we won’t charge you anything unless we’re able to successfully collect on your behalf. So contact us today for a free consultation with a knowledgeable clergy sexual assault lawyer.