Catholic church abuse statistics didn’t only happen back in 1950, but it continues until now. The data showed that there are about four percent of priests were subject to accusations of sexual abuse to children. Review the latest timeline of abuse by clergy from 2002 until 2021 in this discussion.
What’s Clergy Sexual Abuse?
Clergy sexual abuse is a case where a clergy, whether he’s a bishop, priest, or deacon, sexually harasses a person using their religious authority. The sexual abuse by clergy wasn’t only done by touching the victim, but there are cases where the clergy tried to sexualize a conversation with a victim.
Based on clergy sexual abuse research done by Baylor University, this crime is quite challenging to handle, as it is about the power misuse by the perpetrator. The victim is usually unable to fight back, as the power differential between clergy and victim is vast.
Catholic Church Abuse Statistics Timeline
Although clergy abuse has been happening since 1950, the research has only been done adequately in 2002. Here is the chronology of the clergy abuse.
2002
In 2002, John Jay College of Criminal Justice studied over 11.000 allegations of sexual abuse cases by 4.400 Catholic priests, as requested by the Conference of Catholic Bishops.
2004
A Louisville Kentucky attorney filed a case against the Vatican’s church leaders in 2004, claiming that the Church had protected its clergy since 1920.
Besides, The John Jay Report indicated that 4 percent of active Catholic priests in the US had been charged with sexual abuse of minors from 1950 to 2002.
2008
Hundreds of clergy’s names were added to the John Jay Report by 2008, totaling 5375 accused perpetrators.
2009
A total of 286 more names of Catholic clergy were listed in the sexual predator list in 2009.
February 2021
Harmful actions were done to sexually abused survivors when the negotiation of $21.500.000 was settled with the Minnesota Diocese of Winona-Rochester. These actions took place in February 2021.
April 2021
In April 2021, the Santa Fe Archdiocese reported that they were paying off 400 sexual abuse cases’ settlements.
Later, in the same month, five women and men filed a case in federal court, stating that the sexual predators were the operators of New Hampshire and Rhode Island’s schools. The victims identified the operators as the Legion of Christ’s clergy.
The timeline of Catholic church abuse statistics written above only contained the cases that happened from 2002 to 2021. Unfortunately, this case is still happening, and it’s best for the victims to bravely report this harmful action whenever it happens to them or their loved ones.
3 Most-Frequent of Clergy’s Method in Abusing Children
Naturally, people were unable to detect the sexual abuse done by clergy, as priests have their specific ways of grooming the children. Look at the usual steps priests do during the process below.
1. Building Close Relationships
Clergy will first build a close relationship with his potential victim. He’ll target the vulnerable, as the weakest ones won’t realize the action.
2. ‘Kidnapping’ Victims
Sometimes, parents didn’t realize that entrusting their children to a priest would be a severe issue. The priest would use this opportunity to isolate the victim under the guise of spiritual tutorship.
3. Threaten Victims
Lastly, priests would likely use their authority to threaten their victims. The victims often keep silent since they tend to believe everything that priests do is right according to God’s law.
Since these actions are difficult to identify by the underage victims, priests can do the sexual abuse as much as possible. Therefore, don’t delay too long in reporting the case to the prominent lawyers once you realize the crime.
Catholic Church Abuse Statistics’ Settlement
Based on Miller and Zois’ website, the settlement amount caused by sexual abuse of Catholic clergy can range from $300.000,00 – $400.000,00. If you or someone you know happen to have an issue regarding sexual abuse done by clergy, you may report the case and find adequately compensated by the offender.
Until now, Catholic dioceses in the US have paid more than $3.000.000.000,00 as payouts to the victims. On the other hand, the Archdioceses of Los Angeles agreed to pay $660.000.000,00, with the detail of each individual receiving $1.300.000,00 as compensation.
2 Prominent Lawyers to Solve the Case
After knowing about how terrifying Catholic church abuse statistics have been since 2002, you can always report the case when you encounter one. Two leading lawyers, Pintas & Mullins, and Miller & Zois, are willing to solve your issue. See their details below.
1. Pintas & Mullins
You can always file a lawsuit against a member of the clergy who happened to abuse you sexually. One of the law firms that can help you through this case is Pintas & Mullins, the leading injury lawyers in Chicago. They worked on a contingency fee basis, so you don’t need to pay an upfront fee unless your case has been solved.
Pintas & Mullins offered you a free case review for first-timers, too, so you can tell us all your problems regarding the issue as much as possible. Contact Pintas & Mullins now for a quick case review.
2. Miller & Zois
Another law firm that is always ready to hear your side of the story is Miller & Zois. Here, Miller & Zois’s lawyers have done multiple cases regarding personal injuries such as car accidents, wrongful death, and clergy abuse. They are also open to free and confidential consultation about your lawsuit.
For those who are interested in discussing the sexual abuse done by clergy, call Miller & Zois now for further assistance. Contact them anytime you’re ready to tell them your problem; they are open 24/7.
Are You Happened to be Catholic Church Abuse Statistics’ Victim?
Those who are members of the clergy in a Catholic church don’t mean they’re entirely pure. Sometimes, they can turn into someone who can’t be trusted, and in the end, the only person you can trust is yourself. So, you need to be as brave as possible and not afraid to report anything suspicious coming from anyone else.If you’re one of the Catholic church abuse statistics victims, don’t be afraid to report your case to one of the leading injury lawyers above. Filing your lawsuit regarding clergy abuse may be tricky since they have powers, but you can always immediately call authorities to save yourself.
