Father John de Leeuw
Diocese of Lafayette
Ordained: 1944
Removed: 2011
Died: 2015
Assigned as follows:
- St. Martin de Tours (St. Martinville, LA)
- St. Genevieve Catholic Church (Lafayette, LA)
- St. Jules Catholic Church (Lafayette, LA)
- Charity Hospital (Lafayette, LA)
- St. Eugene Catholic Church (Grand Chenier, LA)
- St. Leo the Great (Lafayette, LA)
Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations against Fr. John de Leeuw:
Fr. John de Leeuw was ordained a priest in 1944, and served in multiple parishes in the Diocese of Lafayette. According to media reports, the Diocese of Lafayette was first made aware of allegations of child sexual abuse in the late 1950’s-early 1960’s against Fr. de Leeuw in 2009 when a woman was referred to a social worker by the diocese. The social worker’s report states that the woman alleges that she was repeatedly molested by Fr. de Leeuw from the time she was 13 until she got married.
In 2011, Fr. de Leeuw was removed from ministry when the younger sister of the first alleged victim also made an allegation of child sexual abuse in the late 1950’s-early 1960’s against de Leeuw. The victim alleges that she and most of her six siblings were repeatedly molested by Fr. de Leeuw when he would visit the family’s home where he was a regular dinner guest. The victim’s siblings gave depositions to Msgr. Robie Robichaux. In March of 2011, Bishop Michael Jarrell removed Fr. de Leeuw from the ministry. There is no record that the Diocese of Lafayette ever reported the allegations against de Leeuw to law enforcement.
In April of 2019, Fr. John de Leeuw was publicly named on the Diocese of Lafayette’s disclosure list of “diocesan clergy against whom credible allegations have been made regarding sexual abuse of a minor or vulnerable adult.”
Fr. John de Leeuw died in 2015.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in Louisiana, contact our office today. Although many years have passed, those abused by Catholic clergy in the Diocese of Lafayette may now have legal options, but filing deadlines will apply so do not delay in reaching out to us. Our lawyers have decades of experience representing survivors of clergy sexual abuse in Louisiana and nationwide. We can help.
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