Catholic Diocese May Face Federal Racketeering Charges
Federal prosecutors might file a racketeering lawsuit against the Altoona-Johnstown Pennsylvanian Roman Catholic Diocese after a state grand jury found two former bishops conspired to cover up the sexual molestation of hundreds of minors by 50 clergy members over a period of four decades.
This case bears a resemblance to the systemic abuse of children by the Roman Catholic Church of Boston, as covered by the Boston Globe in 2002 and depicted in the drama film Spotlight in 2015. In both cases, priests and other clergy members abused young children in their care, and higher church officials, rather than report the abuse to the proper authorities, took steps to cover it up. This process went on for decades before being brought to light by courageous victims and their families.
Clergy sex abuse is, unfortunately, nothing new. Recent evidence which has come to light as part of the Boston Globe’s probe and similar investigations has revealed sex abuse scandals going back tens, perhaps hundreds of years. As long as there have been religious institutions, there have been religious leaders abusing their positions of trust and authority in order to molest children. Thanks to the thoroughgoing and conscientious legal system in place in modern-day America, however, victims are finally in a position to make corrupt clergy members and conspiring religious institutions pay for their crimes in civil court.
If your child has been abused by a clergy member, there are several steps you should immediately take to secure your victims’ rights. First, contact a competent child sex abuse attorney. Religious institutions are old, storied, and moneyed organizations, and past evidence has shown that they are willing to go to great lengths to cover up any wrongdoing by their members. A religious organization will close ranks and hire a talented team of lawyers in order to defend itself. You need an experienced, aggressive child molestation lawyer to protect your rights as a victim and give you top-notch legal representation. The law firm of Estey Bomberger has the experience and tenacity needed to try your case and win you the financial settlement you deserve. Contact us today at 1.800.925.0723 to arrange a free and confidential consultation.