• Pennsylvania Department of State Drops Ball on Constitutional Amendment April 2, 2021 Catholic Church Sexual Abuse At the beginning of 2021, the Pennsylvania Senate Judiciary Committee overwhelmingly passed legislation focused on creating a revival window for child sexual abuse survivors. After passing the General Assembly in February, the bill should have been included on the May 2021 ballot so, if passed, the state’s constitution could be… click to read more
• Hundreds of Sexual Abuse Lawsuits Filed in 2020 Against Catholic Church in New Jersey April 1, 2021 Catholic Church Sexual Abuse More than 230 sexual abuse lawsuits were filed against the five Catholic dioceses in New Jersey from December 2019 to December 2020. The large number of lawsuits directly coincides with the state’s extension of its statute of limitations laws in civil actions for sexual abuse claims as well as its… click to read more
• Diocese of Santa Fe Nearing Bankruptcy Reorganization Settlement March 31, 2021 Catholic Church Sexual Abuse In 2018, Archbishop of Santa Fe John C. Wester announced that the Archdiocese would seek bankruptcy protection amidst the growing number of sexual abuse lawsuits. Nearly 3 years later, the committee set up to represent the survivors, along with the Archdiocese, have reached a confidential settlement. click to read more
• Archdiocese of Chicago Investigating Separate Incidents of Sexual Abuse March 29, 2021 Catholic Church Sexual Abuse The Archdiocese of Chicago suspended two priests from ministry within six weeks of each other due to independent allegations of child sexual abuse. Separate letters from Cardinal Blase Cupich stated that Rev. Daniel McCarthy and Rev. David Ryan were both asked to step away from ministry after the Archdiocese received… click to read more
• Buffalo Diocese Sued By New York Attorney General Following Two-Year Investigation March 24, 2021 Catholic Church Sexual Abuse After a two-year investigation, New York Attorney General Letitia James sued the Diocese of Buffalo, alleging it covered up allegations of child sexual abuse and misused charitable assets by supporting predatory priests instead of following protocol and reporting them to authorities. Former Bishop Richard Malone and former Auxiliary Bishop Edward… click to read more
• West Virginia Supreme Court Rules Religious Institutions Exempt from Consumer Protection Law March 22, 2021 Catholic Church Sexual Abuse In an opinion issued in late 2020, the West Virginia Supreme Court rejected Attorney General Patrick Morrisey’s claim that the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston violated the state’s Consumer Credit and Protection Act (CCPA) when it hired “admitted and credibly-accused sexual abusers” to work in schools and camps without warning prospective consumers.”… click to read more
• Catholic Church Parishioners Seek Financial Transparency from Dioceses March 19, 2021 Catholic Church Sexual Abuse A survey done by Voice of the Faithful (VOTF) concludes that only five U.S. dioceses are financially transparent. According to its website, VOTF is “a lay organization of faithful Catholics. . .whose mission is to provide a prayerful voice, attentive to the Spirit, through which the faithful can actively participate… click to read more
• Texas Priest Sentenced for Child Sex Abuse March 16, 2021 Catholic Church Sexual Abuse Texas priest Father Manuel La Rosa-Lopez was sentenced to 10 years in state prison after pleading guilty to two charges of second-degree felony indecency with a child. The charges stem from when La Rosa-Lopez served at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Conroe Texas in the 1990s and early 2000s. click to read more
• Diocese of Scranton Faces 3 More Clergy Sexual Abuse Lawsuits March 12, 2021 Catholic Church Sexual Abuse Three sexual abuse lawsuits filed against the Scranton Diocese at the end of 2020 allege that church officials knew the accused clergy members were abusing children and instead of punishing those priests, they transferred them to other parishes. click to read more
• Rhode Island Bill Seeks to Expand Perpetrator Definition Under Annie’s Law March 10, 2021 Catholic Church Sexual Abuse Rhode Island is reviewing a new bill to expand the current law’s definition of “perpetrator”, The bill is in response to state court rulings which, victims’ advocates say, have narrowed the meaning of the term “perpetrator” and has precluded victims of clergy sexual abuse from including a church or diocese… click to read more
• Lawyers for Sexual Abuse Victims say $300 Million Offered by Boy Scouts Falls Short March 9, 2021 Sexual Abuse & Assault Lawsuits The Boy Scouts of America has offered to fund a trust with at least $300 million to compensate child sex abuse victims. The offer is part of a reorganization plan submitted by the Boy Scouts after filing for bankruptcy in 2020. The money will come from local councils, insurance policies… click to read more
• Truth and Reconciliation Commission Says Seattle Archbishop is Stonewalling Them March 5, 2021 Catholic Church Sexual Abuse Heal our Heart, the citizen-led group of prominent Catholics in Washington State discussed last April, are continuing their call for a public review of the “Seattle Archdiocese’s private records on clergy abuse.” The alliance remains resolute that a ‘truth and reconciliation’ approach to the Catholic Church’s sexual abuse scandal will… click to read more
• Illinois Priest Michael Pfleger Faces Sex Abuse Accusations March 4, 2021 Catholic Church Sexual Abuse A popular Chicago priest is facing accusations he molested two brothers back in the 1970s when they were boys. The men, who now live in Texas, accused Father Michael Pfleger of sexually abusing them in his bedroom at the churches he served at on Chicago’s South Side. The brothers have… click to read more
• Oakland Diocese Reaches Settlement with Sexual Abuse Victim March 2, 2021 Catholic Church Sexual Abuse In December of 2020, the Diocese of Oakland announced it reached a $3.5 million dollar priest sex abuse settlement with a former seminarian who asserted Father Michael Van Dinh raped him in 2017 at St. Michaels Parish in Livermore, CA. The seminarian did not wish to be identified and will… click to read more
• Priest Sexual Abuse Case in PA Could Open the Door for Other Survivors February 26, 2021 Catholic Church Sexual Abuse In Oct. 2020, Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court heard oral arguments virtually and live-streamed via YouTube, for the Rice v. Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown, et. al, case. This important legal battle could have major implications for priest and clergy abuse survivors regarding potential lawsuits. click to read more