Father David Peter
Diocese of Buffalo
Ordained: 1966
Retired: 2002
Died: 2017
Assigned as Follows:
- St Edmund Church (Tonawanda, NY)
- St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church (Forestville, NY)
- St. James (Buffalo, NY)
- St. Agatha’s (Buffalo, NY)
- St. John the Baptist Lockport, NY)
- St. Francis Xavier (Buffalo, NY)
- St. Immaculate Conception Church (Eden, NY)
- Our Lady of the Rosary (Niagara Falls, NY)
Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations against Father David Peter:
Father David Peter was ordained to the priesthood of the Diocese of Buffalo in 1966. According to media reports, in 2018, a man filed a lawsuit alleging that Father David Peter sexually abused him while he was an altar boy at the church formally known as St. Edmund. The victim claimed Father David Peter molested and raped him from 1978 through 1979, starting when he was eight-years-old. He alleged that Father Peter took him and a few other boys on special boat ride on the Niagara River when the abuse first happened. He was taken on a tour of the boat, and when they got to the bottom of the stairs, the defendant recalls the priest practically being on top of him. He also recalled another man being there during the incident, who did nothing to stop the priest.
The boy was told that if he spoke of the abuse, Father Peter would harm his brother as well. The abuse went on for a year and would happen after Mass, oftentimes with Father Peter insisting on taking a shower with the young boy. The accuser said that he had told Bishop Grosz about the abuse and he said that he had been the only one to report an incident against Father Peter and he couldn’t defend himself because he had already died in April 2017. The lawsuit was filed in August 2018.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims of sexual abuse in the Diocese of Buffalo and throughout New York. The Diocese of Buffalo filed for federal bankruptcy protection in February 2020. Anyone sexually abused by a priest or employee of the Diocese of Buffalo may be entitled to file a claim against the Diocese in these bankruptcy proceedings, but very strict filing deadlines apply. Most victims of abuse in the Diocese of Buffalo will never be able to take action against the Diocese of Buffalo if they miss this bankruptcy filing deadline, so it is important that you contact us immediately to discuss your potential case.
Contact us at 888-283-9922 or [email protected] to discuss your legal options today.