Archdiocese of Philadelphia ACCUSED PRIESTS

Child sexual abuse happening within Roman Catholic Churches worldwide is one of the most horrifying reveals in recent years—decades even. Exposure of the Roman Catholic Church’s history of child sex abuse and cover-ups began in 2002 with the Boston Globe Investigation, but in recent years more and more survivors are filing credible allegations against clergy members.

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia has faced criticism and accusations of child sexual abuse for a long time. In 2005, a Philadelphia grand jury report asserted priests committed sexual abuse at the archdiocese and possibly made attempts to cover up that abuse. However, at the time, no criminal charges resulted. Six years later, in 2011, another grand jury report finally did lead to the filing of charges.

One member, Monsignor William Lynn, was ultimately found guilty on June 22, 2012, of endangering the welfare of children. From 1992 to 2004, Lynn was actually in charge of investigating accusations of abuse for the Archdiocese. Considered a landmark case, Lynn was the first American church official to be charged in a child sexual abuse case based on his administrative actions.

Since the conviction, Lynn successfully appealed, but in 2015, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court reversed the Superior Court’s reversal and ruled that Lynn was responsible for the safety and well-being of the Archdiocese’s children.

Last summer, the archbishop of Philadelphia, Nelson Perez, published a candid letter where he addressed accusations of child sex abuse. He shared with parishioners that the Archdiocese planned to set aside $130 million as payment to abuse victims. The Archdiocese funded the reparations program by selling assets and borrowing millions of dollars. As of last summer, the Archdiocese resolved 208 claims by paying out over $43 million.

The Independent Reconciliation and Reparations Program (IRRP) created in 2018 by the Archdiocese aims to help bolster the 2002 Victim Assistance Program. The goal of both programs is to record abuse claims against priests and compensate victims. Throughout the program’s run, at least 800 victims have emerged. Of that number, at least 615 proceeded to file formal claims. Of those claims, 208 or more found resolution through the IRRP.

At the bottom of the website for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, there’s a link to the Catholic Bishop Abuse Reporting System. However, that reporting system clarifies that it’s only for reporting sexual misconduct by a bishop: “This service is in place to gather and relay reports of sexual misconduct involving bishops of the United States, and reports of their intentional interference in a sexual abuse investigation. If you wish to report any other kind of misconduct by a bishop—or sexual abuse by a priest, deacon, religious brother or sister, or layperson working for the Church—please contact your local diocese or eparchy directly instead.”

The Archdiocese site also has a link under their How Do I… section titled Make A Complaint of Sexual Abuse. This page has the Archdiocese’s policies and protocols for making a complaint and several points of contact. They also have links to share various statuses of clergy that have had allegations charged against them.

Many victims of childhood sexual abuse can still potentially file a claim against their abusers and the Archdiocese of Philadelphia that allowed the abuse to happen. Legislation is currently pending, held up in the state Senate, to establish a window for all victims to file civil lawsuits, regardless of their current age or how long ago the abuse happened. Senate Majority Leader Kim Ward says the bill is unconstitutional, stalling efforts to pass the new law. As a result, child sex abuse survivors in Pennsylvania with claims falling outside the statute of limitations might have to wait until late 2022 or into 2023 for a second chance at justice.

Regardless, a sexual abuse law firm can help you determine your legal rights and decide whether you can file a claim now. The healing process can be ongoing, and you deserve closure. Please contact Herman Law today for a free consultation if you or anyone you know has been the victim of child sexual abuse while under the watch of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.