Child Victims Act - Feeney Law Firm

New Maryland Law Opens Permanent Revival Window

Christina Feeney — Tue, 13 Feb 2024 15:59:50 +0000

In April, Maryland Governor Wes Moore signed the Child Victims Act of 2023 into law. The new law removes the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse by opening up a permanent revival window for survivors of childhood sexual abuse . . .

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Redacted Names Lead to Frustration with Baltimore Archdiocese

Christina Feeney — Thu, 11 May 2023 16:23:30 +0000

The Maryland Attorney General’s Office released its long-awaited report into clergy sexual abuse of children within the Archdiocese of Baltimore in early April. The report details 80 years of clergy sexual abuse of more than 600 children within the archdiocese. It also describes the archdiocese’s knowledge concerning clergy abuse and its attempts to cover-up what […]

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Attorney General Report Shows Prosecutors Allowed Church to Hide Abusive Clergy

Christina Feeney — Wed, 10 May 2023 19:35:43 +0000

Father William Q. Simms was one of many clergy members named as an abuser in the Maryland Attorney General’s report on child sex abuse in the Archdiocese of Baltimore

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Maryland Senate Passes Legislation that would remove SOL for Child Abuse Victims

Christina Feeney — Tue, 28 Mar 2023 14:45:53 +0000

The Child Victims Act of 2023 (also known as House Bill 1) overwhelmingly passed in the Maryland Senate by a 42-5 margin.

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Revival Windows Don’t Bring Justice for Every Survivor

Christina Feeney — Tue, 01 Nov 2022 13:14:58 +0000

Clergy sexual abuse survivor Robert Kapal is out of legal options to file a civil claim against his abuser and the organization which allowed him to be sexually abused . . .

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NY Governor Signs Adult Survivors Act into Law

Christina Feeney — Fri, 17 Jun 2022 11:36:29 +0000

New York Governor Kathy Hochul recently signed into law the Adult Survivors Act. Similar to the state’s 2019 Child Victims Act, the law opens up a one-year revival window for adult survivors of sexual assault.

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Leaked Transcript Uncovers Real Motive Behind NY’s Independent Reconciliation and Compensation Program

Brett Katsma — Fri, 30 Apr 2021 17:40:23 +0000

In 2016, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, leader of the Archdiocese of New York, introduced the Independent Reconciliation and Compensation Program as a way to compensate victims of clergy sex abuse, and according to the church, “promote healing” and “bring closure” to the sexual abuse crisis ailing the Catholic Church.

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New York’s Child Victims Act Extended – Again

Brett Katsma — Fri, 30 Oct 2020 18:56:14 +0000

For the second time since the law was initially passed in 2019, New York’s Child Victims Act (“CVA”) has been extended, providing more time for child sex abuse survivors to pursue legal claims, both criminally and civilly. The extension moves the new deadline to August 14, 2021.

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New York’s Diocese of Rochester Files for Bankruptcy

Brett Katsma — Fri, 30 Oct 2020 15:59:52 +0000

In September of 2019, the Diocese of Rochester filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Rochester. At the time of the filing, the petition noted the Diocese had $50-$100 million in assets, with liability estimates totaling $100 to $500 million. The Diocese of Rochester was the first New York diocese to choose Chapter 11 reorganization, however the Dioceses of Syracuse, Buffalo and Rockville Centre have all since filed as well. The Rochester diocese covers 12 upstate New York counties where an estimated 360,000 Catholics live.

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Multiple Clergy Abuse Lawsuits Filed against the Diocese of Ogdensburg New York

Brett Katsma — Thu, 24 Sep 2020 17:20:20 +0000

The Diocese of Ogdensburg was named in 20 lawsuits claiming clergy sexual abuse. Of those 20 filings, 7 new clergy members have been publicly identified for the first time. According to the Diocese of Ogdensburg website, since August 2019, 71 clergy sexual abuse lawsuits have been filed against the Diocese.

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