Sexually abused by a priest in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia? Talk to a lawyer today.

| Nov 10, 2018 | Abuser Profiles, Catholic Church


Our law firm is offering free, confidential evaluation of clergy sexual abuse claims involving priests of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.  We have been handling clergy abuse cases for many years. Contact us today at (954) 641-2100 or send an e-mail to [email protected] to find out if you are eligible for compensation.

The facts are clear: the Archdiocese of Philadelphia engaged in the coverup of the sexual abuse of children for decades.

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia has been home to some of the most notorious priests alleged to have committed child sexual abuse in the nation. Thanks to not one but two landmark grand jury reports released in the last 15 years those facts are now coming to light.  Of course, they would not have been possible without the strength and courage of the countless survivors who came forward to call the Archdiocese of Philadelphia to account.

Both the civil lawsuits that have been filed against the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and the extensive grand jury reports into the practices of the Archdiocese have exposed a culture of sexual abuse, cover-up, and efforts by church to protect the reputation of the Archdiocese at the expense of its most vulnerable: the children in its flock.  The grand jury reports each reveal mountains of evidence of sexual abuse of minors committed by dozens of priests in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, as well as the shocking steps taken by Church leaders to cover up the sexual abuse of children. These findings led to the arrest and eventual conviction of several Church leaders for endangering children for the first time in our nation’s history.

According to the 2011 report, Msgr. William Lynn, who was the Archbishop’s Secretary for Clergy from 1992-2004 and was responsible for investigating allegations of sexual abuse during that time, was particularly culpable.  The Grand Jury stated, “the rapist priests we accuse were well known to the Secretary of the Clergy, but he cloaked their conduct and put them in place to do it again.” Lynn was later convicted of endangerment of a child and sentenced to three to six years in prison.  He testified on his own behalf at his trial, explaining that he reassigned one accused priest to another parish (where the priest abused more kids) because the case “just fell through the cracks.”

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia has established a voluntary compensation fund for survivors of sexual abuse in Philadelphia, but you must act soon.

Anyone sexually abused by a priest in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia may now be able to receive financial compensation without undergoing lengthy, protracted litigation in court.  Recently, the Archbishop of Philadelphia, Charles Chaput, announced that the Archdiocese of Philadelphia has formed a confidential, voluntary compensation settlement fund for victims of sexual abuse by clergy of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.  The fund, which is modeled after similar funds in New York, will compensate victims in a shorter, more cursory process than full-blown litigation. Kenneth Feinberg, a well-known and respected arbitrator of the New York claims and other high-profile claim funds like the 9/11 Fund, and his business manager, Camille Biros, will review each claim as a neutral third party and award claimants compensation.  We have extensive experience handling claims in the New York area and are very familiar with the process and expectations of Mr. Feinberg and Ms. Biros.

There will be a deadline to file your claim with the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, so it is important that you act today to protect your rights.  Contact us today.

We have identified 133 Catholic priests and deacons accused of sexually abusing minors in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

Through our own investigation, we have identified a staggering 133 priests publicly accused of sexually abusing children in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The following list of priests and deacons includes habitual offenders and other priests who allegedly committed abuse.  In some cases, priests were alleged to have abused children at multiple parishes and were transferred from assignment to assignment even after the allegations first came to the attention of the leaders of the Archdiocese:

Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.  If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in Pennsylvania, contact our office today. Although many years have passed, those abused by Catholic clergy in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia may have legal options, but filing deadlines will apply so please do not delay in reaching out to us.

Contact us at (954) 641-2100 or [email protected] to discuss your options today.