Deadline for Archdiocese of San Francisco Survivors Approaching Quickly
Posted on: February 13, 2024 Catholic Church Sexual Abuse
The Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of California has set a deadline of February 20, 2024, for sexual abuse survivors to file claims against the Archdiocese of San Francisco. If a clergy sexual abuse survivor did not file a lawsuit against the San Francisco Archdiocese while California’s 3-year revival window was open, this will likely be their last chance for restitution. Survivors who did not file a lawsuit and do not file a clergy sexual abuse claim before the bankruptcy proceedings conclude will be forever barred from taking action against the Archdiocese of San Francisco. The Notice of the Deadline read in part:
If you were sexually abused by any person connected with the Debtor (Archdiocese of San Francisco), you must file a claim so as to be received by February 20, 2024, or otherwise you will be forever barred, estopped, and enjoined from asserting such claim against the Debtor.
In August, the Archdiocese of San Francisco filed for bankruptcy to deal with more than 500 clergy sexual abuse lawsuits filed since California opened a 3-year revival window in 2019. While the revival window has since closed, hundreds of clergy sex abuse lawsuits have also caused the Diocese of Oakland to file for bankruptcy, and the Diocese of San Diego to consider filing for bankruptcy as well.
The San Francisco Archdiocese, led by Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone is the only diocese in California that has yet to release a list of San Francisco clergy credibly accused of child sexual abuse. Late last year, a group of sexual abuse survivors personally delivered to the archbishop a list of 312 names associated with the San Francisco Archdiocese who had been accused of sexual abuse. Yet the archbishop did nothing with it. Cordileone is one of only 15 bishops in the United States who still refuse to publish a list of credibly accused abusers in their respective archdioceses.
The entire article can be viewed here.
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