Brother Walter Hicks (Brothers of Charity)
Diocese of Camden
Ordained: Unknown
Left Order: Unknown
Died: Unknown
Assigned as follows:
- St. Peter’s Church (Pleasantville, NJ)
Summary of Abuse Allegations against Brother Walter Hicks:
Brother Walter Hicks was a member of the Brothers of Charity religious order. According to media reports, in December 2019, a man filed a lawsuit under New Jersey’s new Victim’s Rights Bill against the Diocese of Camden and the Brothers of Charity alleging that he was sexually abused as a minor by Brother Walter Hicks. The alleged abuse occurred when the man was about 7 to 9 years old from approximately 1978 to 1980 at St. Peter’s Church in Pleasantville, New Jersey.
The man told reporters, “When I would tell my family that I didn’t want to go to school and I was afraid of my abuser — I didn’t know the words to say, ‘I am being sexually violated by an adult.’ … Those words, a child doesn’t know.”
Regarding his decision to come forward, he said “I’ve tried for years to bring accountability, bring attention to this crime and neglect and cover-up and I can’t do it alone. I can’t do it without attorneys helping me,” he continued. “I’ve tried. I’ve asked the brothers to help. I’ve asked the diocese to help. I’ve asked their coordinators to help. And I’m still here waiting for them to be accountable.”
Brother Hicks’ name has never appeared on any diocesan list of credibly accused clergy because he was not a cleric, but a member of a religious order. He is believed to have left the Brothers of Charity and became a therapist counseling victims of sexual abuse. He is deceased.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Diocese of Camden in New Jersey. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in New Jersey, contact our office today. In October 2020, the Camden Diocese filed for federal bankruptcy protection. The Court will resolve all claims of sexual abuse in this process but strict filing deadlines will apply and no late claims will be considered, so contact us today. Our lawyers have decades of experience representing survivors of clergy sexual abuse in New Jersey and nationwide. We can help.
Contact us at 888-283-9922 or [email protected] to discuss your options today.