Individual reports made by abuse survivors and investigations conducted by state authorities have revealed that hundreds of priests engaged in sexual abuse of young children over the past several decades. In response to these revelations, state legislators have significantly expanded the rights of abuse victims to press criminal charges against their abusers and seek civil compensation from them and everyone who enabled or condoned their abusive behavior.
If you were sexually abused by a priest, pastor, or anyone else affiliated with a religious organization, legal assistance is available from a dedicated Reading clergy and church sexual abuse lawyer. From finding evidence to support your claim to ensuring you are compensated fairly for the abuse you unjustly experienced, your knowledgeable sexual abuse attorney could work tirelessly throughout every stage of the legal proceedings to ensure your claim has the best resolution possible.
Any person who sexually abuses a child or an adult can be held personally liable in civil and criminal court for the harm they caused. There is also substantial legal precedent for church organizations of every size to be found civilly liable for failing to report or investigate credible allegations of sexual abuse made against their clergy or for knowingly concealing those allegations and protecting their staff at the expense of their abuse victims.
A comprehensive claim against abusive clergy members and organizations can seek compensation for economic and noneconomic forms of harm that can be traced directly back to that abuse, including:
Among other duties, a Reading clergy and church sexual abuse attorney can help ensure every person who played a role in allowing abuse to occur is named in a lawsuit or settlement demand and held fully accountable for the damages they caused.
Legal counsel could ensure a suit over sexual abuse is filed within the deadline set by the state’s statute of limitations and determine what deadline applies to a specific case. Due to recent changes in the law, people who were sexually abused as minors after January 1, 2019, have until their 55th birthday to file a civil suit against their abuser(s), and people who were abused between the ages of 18 and 24 after that date have until their 30th birthday to file suit.
However, for adults over the age of 24 who have experienced sexual abuse and for people who were sexually abused as minors before 2019, the previous two-year deadline may apply, meaning that those minors may only have until their 20th birthday to file suit. A qualified lawyer can answer questions about what deadlines may affect a particular clergy or church sexual abuse claim in Reading during a confidential consultation.
No amount of money can completely make up for the harm that childhood sexual abuse can cause. However, demanding civil compensation from the people who engaged in and facilitated your abuse can protect your long-term best interests and reimburse you for some of the losses you experienced because of their actions.
A private conversation with a Reading clergy and church sexual abuse lawyer could give you clarity about your legal options and confidence about the next steps to take. Call today to schedule a meeting.
