Washington D.C. Sexual Abuse Lawsuits

Washington D.C. has made progress on both their criminal and civil statute of limitation (SOL) laws since 2002, but it wasn’t until 2019 that the District made tremendous improvements. Its efforts to change legislation has helped survivors of sexual abuse get justice against their abusers in the courts, and also allows for compensation. These laws enable lawyers handling sexual abuse claims in Washington D.C. to file cases against sexual predators, including clergy members, and the Catholic church.

Below you will find information on Washington D.C.’s statute of limitations laws. These laws are important because they dictate how long a lawyer handling Washington D.C. sexual assault case has to file a claim on behalf of a survivor. In addition, we’ve compiled a list of Washington D.C. settlements received by sexual abuse and assault survivors and assault survivors and a list of Washington D.C.’s ‘credibly’ accused priests released by the dioceses.

Washington D.C. Statute of Limitations for Sexual Abuse & Assault

Washington D.C. is one of 29 states to pass SOL reform legislation in 2019. A highlight of their SOL reform was the enactment of a revival window to help sexual abuse survivors; allowing previously expired claims of sexual abuse to be brought against abusers, however, that window has since closed. The District also eliminated the SOLs for sexual abuse criminal claims and extended the SOL for sexual abuse civil claims.

Criminal Statute of Limitations Laws for Washington D.C.

In 2019, Washington D.C. eliminated the SOL for all felony sexual abuse, child sexual abuse, sexual abuse of a minor, and incest. However, it left the SOL for trafficking, pornography and prostitution to age 31. Child USA, who has evaluated every state based on their criminal statute of limitations laws, gave Washington D.C. a letter grade of C, on the traditional A-F scale, where A is the best. A letter grade of Cis defined as a criminal SOL eliminated for some/all felonies only.

Civil Statute of Limitations Laws for Washington D.C.

In the District of Columbia, the civil SOL for child sex abuse claims is capped at age 40. There is also a discovery rule that allows victims to file a claim 5 years after discovering their abuse. Child USA, who has also evaluated every state based on their civil statute of limitations laws, gave Washington D.C. a Civil SOL Age Cap letter grade of D, on the traditional A-F scale, where A is the best. A letter grade of Dis defined as a civil SOL age cap between 35 and 49 years old for survivors. Additionally, Child USA gave Washington D.C. a related SOL Revival Law letter grade of C on the same A-F scale. A letter grade of C is defined as a revival window or revival up to age 30-54, and the law is not explicitly for claims against all types of defendants.

If you or someone you love was sexually abused or assaulted in Washington D.C., contact us now. Due to Washington D.C.’s current laws, those sexually abused as a minor may still have a claim against their abuser, depending upon how long ago the abuse occurred. Even if the abuser is deceased, you may still have a claim against the organization responsible. Don’t wait to file your claim. Washington D.C.’s previous revival window closed on May 3, 2021.

Go to our main sexual abuse page to learn more about the process of filing a sexual abuse claim.

Washington D.C. Sexual Abuse Settlements & Jury Awards

The Archdiocese of Washington D.C. has agreed to pay out over $1 million to victims of child sex abuse. Below outlines the timeline of the related settlements.

2005 to 2007 – Between 2005 and 2007 the Archdiocese of Newark, NJ and the Diocese of Metuchen, NJ secretly paid $180,000 to two sexual abuse victims of former Washington D.C. Archbishop Theodore McCarrick. As part of a broader cover-up, it was reported in December 2019 that McCarrick bribed Catholic Church high-ranking officials, including popes, with over $600,000 for nearly 20 years amidst his sexual abuse allegations. McCarrick’s checks were paid out of a little-known account in the Archdiocese of Washington known as the “Archbishop’s Special Fund.” McCarrick began serving as Washington D.C.’s archbishop in 2001 and retired in 2006.

December 2006 – The Archdiocese of Washington D.C. settled a lawsuit for $1.3 million filed by 16 men who were sexually abused by 8 priests from 1962-1982. Three of the priests named in the settlement, Thomas A. Schaeffer, Alphonsus M. Smith, and Edward B. Pritchard, were also criminally convicted of sexually abusing 5 minors in 1995.

*The settlements listed above are offered for educational purposes only and do not guarantee any future outcome or settlement. Each legal situation is different, and past performance does not guarantee future results. We do not maintain that is a full list of all settlements in Washington D.C. but merely a grouping of those we choose to share on our website. Please contact us if you would like additional settlements included or if you notice any inaccuracies on our site. We strive to provide our viewers the most up to date and accurate information as possible.

Dioceses of Washington D.C. Clergy Credibly Accused Priest List

The Archdiocese of Washington D.C. has released the following list of priests, deemed to have been credibly accused of sexual abuse of a minor according to their website.

Archdiocese of Washington D.C. Credibly Accused Priest List

Click to view our larger database of accused priests. Here you can search by accused clergy first and last name, Parish/Diocese, city and state, and even by the years of their assignments.

Washington D.C. Sexual Abuse Lawsuits: News & Updates