After years of cover-ups and denials, the Catholic Church and other denominations have begun to acknowledge the extent of abuse that they allowed and even covered up. These terrible acts occurred at the hands of priests, pastors, and rabbis for years, with many people only coming to terms with what happened to them years after the fact.
If you or your loved one are victims of clergy sexual abuse, our compassionate personal injury lawyers are here to help. We understand how life-altering these acts can be, and our San Diego clergy sexual abuse lawyers will work tirelessly to help you pursue justice.
Clergy abuse refers to any form of sexual misconduct, exploitation, or inappropriate behavior committed by a member of the clergy or a religious institution. This abuse can occur in churches, schools, religious retreats, or other settings where clergy members hold authority or influence. Victims are often children, teenagers, or vulnerable adults who trust and rely on religious leaders for guidance and support. Tragically, this power imbalance is frequently exploited, leaving survivors with deep emotional and psychological scars. Clergy abuse may include:
Clergy abuse cases often go unreported for years due to fear, shame, or institutional cover-ups. Survivors have legal options in California to seek justice and hold both individuals and institutions accountable. Our San Diego attorneys can help you pursue compensation for the clergy sexual abuse you have experienced.
Every civil lawsuit is governed by a time limit known as the statute of limitations, and clergy abuse claims are no exception. However, the reality of surviving abuse is very different compared to being hurt in a fall or a car accident. Extensive research has shown that it can take a person decades to accept that they were the victims of abuse, especially as a child. Unfortunately, most of these people did not reach the point of being ready to pursue justice until long after the relatively short statute of limitations had expired.
In 2019, The State of California took steps to address this issue. In an effort to recognize the life-long effects that child sexual abuse can have, and they did so in different ways. First, there is a hard age cap on filing an abuse lawsuit that provides more time than the standard statute of limitations. A person has until they reach the age of 40 to pursue a case for compensation against the church for abuse that happened during their childhood.
Because of the lasting nature of this trauma, many victims only discover symptoms later in life. Under California’s discovery rule, you have a five-year window to pursue an abuse claim even if you are older than the age of 40. At CaseyGerry, we can answer your questions and provide you with legal guidance for past abuse, even when it happened years ago. Our San Diego clergy sexual abuse attorneys are here to help you navigate the legal system with compassion.
If you are living with past trauma related to abuse at the hands of a clergy member, you may have a path to pursuing legal action. This is true even if you were victimized years ago and are only now coming to terms with what happened.
Let CaseyGerry serve as your advocate during this sensitive time. Call a San Diego clergy sexual abuse lawyer right away to learn more.
