Where to Go After Abused by Clergy

It can be overwhelming to think about all of the details when wondering where to go after being abused by clergy. The dedicated team at Morgan and Morgan recognizes these sensitive issues and has extensive experience in working directly with victims who are looking for where to go after being abused by clergy. The important thing to remember is that you should not be alone during this time. 

Even if the abuse was decades old, you may still be able to pursue compensation and discuss some of the action steps you can take to close out this chapter of your life. Many people who are looking for where to go after being abused by clergy have suffered abuse at the hands of clergy members they trusted many decades ago. It can be very difficult to come forward, even if the abuse is in the far past. New laws have opened to allow victims to come forward with this information, and you need to understand the legal options available to you.
 

Many individuals who are looking for where to turn after being abused by clergy do not have a great deal of faith in the church that may have perpetrated this abuse. It is possible that you attempted to come forward in the past and that your concerns were not taken seriously. You may discover that you were one of many children or young adults who was abused at the hands of clergy members. 

You may be concerned that the church will fail to take appropriate action steps to protect your interests even now. Reporting to the church is possible by contacting the coordinator or diocese where your abuse took place. You can also report your abuse to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops by communicating with the secretariat for child and youth protection. This individual can be reached at 202-541-5413. You can also report clergy abuse to the Department of Justice. Contact the clergy abuse reporting line at 202-252-7008.

When it comes to filing claims of sexual abuse, there may be two different types of legal cases. Depending on the statute of limitations, you may have grounds for a criminal case against the abuse perpetrator but you may also be entitled to recovery in a civil lawsuit. These two matters are handled separately and in different courts, and the prosecutor pursuing any criminal charges will not be involved in any civil case. Likewise, filing a criminal case against an abuser does not automatically provide you with a lawsuit or a path to recovery of civil compensation. Instead, you will need to consult with dedicated clergy sexual abuse lawyers to advise you more about your rights. 

In many cases, a clergy abuse lawyer may be of great assistance to you during this challenging time. It can be hard to understand the individual laws of your state or the rights that you have in pursuing compensation. You may also have questions about what to do if the person who perpetrated the abuse is no longer alive. You may still be able to recover compensation as a victim, but it is vital to be able to communicate with the right attorney as soon as possible.

Unfortunately, too many innocent victims have suffered sexual abuse at the hands of clergy members and may be reeling from the psychological and spiritual damage. Many of these victims might have tried to come forward in the past and have been ignored or accused of lying. For this reason, many victims have kept their sexual trauma and clergy sexual abuse hidden for decades due to embarrassment, fear, and shame. Many of these victims are not sure how to proceed or whether or not they even have the legal eligibility to pursue compensation.

Clergy sexual abuse has been prominently featured in many news stories about the Catholic church, but this is not the only church organization involved in perpetrating these sexual abuse scandals. Research from the Insurance Journal shows that the three biggest insurance companies that insure almost all Protestant churches in the United States get hundreds of annual reports about clergy sexual abuse incidences. Likewise, the United Methodist Church has reported similar findings that clergy members continue to abuse young victims and congregants. Furthermore, Muslim clergy members and Jewish clergy members may also be held accountable for child sexual abuse.

Regardless of how the incident happened, if you have suffered abuse at the hands of a clergy member, it is vital that you be able to consult with an experienced and qualified lawyer. Not knowing where to turn after clergy abuse is a very common phenomenon, but it is true that you should not be alone and that you should be prepared to consult with an attorney who has your best interests in mind. It can be very difficult to figure out how to move forward with your life. But if you feel that this matter has been burdening you for decades and should be resolved, hiring the right attorneys to help you figure out what to do after clergy sexual abuse is important. Knowing where to go is something that you can discuss privately with the help of an experienced and qualified lawyer. Your lawyer can sit down with you to discuss the specifics of your concerns and start to begin gathering information and evidence that could help you pursue compensation.

Far too many victims of clergy sexual abuse don't know how to move forward and what to do next. The good news is that you are not alone in this situation and that finding the right lawyer can make it that much easier for you to understand what is at stake. There is no reason that you should feel shame or embarrassment as a result of your involvement in these situations. Many people have suffered seriously as a result of clergy sexual abuse and are deeply concerned about whether or not this matter will become public or they will face other challenges in their case. The good news is that when you are guided by a qualified team of legal professionals, these matters are kept private until you decide to move forward with a legal claim.

You are certainly not alone if you find yourself in this situation and our attorneys are here to help support you during this very challenging time. We recognize that there are many different things that come up in this process and that you need to feel confident that someone is in your corner protecting your best interests. We're here to guide you and to provide you with the details necessary so that you can feel comfortable in deciding whether or not to move forward.

Many victims of clergy sexual abuse who are looking for where to go after clergy sexual abuse have chosen to move forward by filing a lawsuit. You may be able to recover compensation and although no amount of money will ever undo the damage that was done to you as a result of these actions, you may be able to get help to close this chapter and to hold these church organizations and individuals accountable. It is important to remember that you do not have to navigate this entirely by yourself. Contact Morgan & Morgan for a confidential consultation about your concerns relating to clergy sexual abuse.

There is no doubt that it can be hard to decide to come forward after so many years. This is why you need a qualified legal team to understand these sensitive issues and to advise you about what to expect as you move forward with your legal claim. There are so many things to consider and you deserve to have a team of legal professionals who can help you from day one. 

If you're unsure where to go after clergy sexual abuse, contact us today for a free, no-obligation case evaluation to learn more about your options and how to put this tragedy behind you.