The lawsuit names Fr. John Weber, a known sexual abuser in the Diocese of Baton Rouge and the Archdiocese of New Orleans
This is believed to be the first lawsuit filed against the Baton Rouge Diocese on behalf of a Weber victim under a new law suspending the statute of limitations in sexual abuse cases in Louisiana
Horowitz Law and The Bezou Law Firm announce the filing of a new child sexual abuse and coverup lawsuit against the Diocese of Baton Rouge in Louisiana.
According to the Petition for Damages filed in East Baton Rouge parish district court, the Petitioner, identified as John DD Doe, was sexually abused by Fr. John Weber at St. Charles Borromeo parish in Baton Rouge. St. Charles Borromeo has also been named as a defendant in the lawsuit.
The lawsuit alleges that Weber sexually abused John D.D. Doe on multiple occasions between approximately 1975 and 1976, beginning when the victim was about 13 years old.
The Plaintiff is now 59 years old and resides in Southwest Louisiana.
Weber was ordained a Catholic priest by the Archdiocese of New Orleans in 1945, where he was credibly accused of abusing at least one child. When the Diocese of Baton Rouge was created in 1961, he became a priest of that new diocese.
In addition to St. Charles Borromeo, Weber also worked at the following parishes between 1945 and 1995, when he retired:
- Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin (Plattenville, LA)
- Holy Trinity (New Orleans, LA)
- St. Ann (Morganza, LA)
- St. Eloi (Theriot, LA)
- St. Rita (New Orleans, LA)
- St. Isidore the Farmer (Baker, LA)
- St. Theresa of Avila (Gonzales, LA)
- St. Philip (Vacherie, LA)
John D.D. Doe v. The Roman Catholic Church of the Diocese of Baton Rouge, et al (case number: C-716567 Division "31") is now pending in Nineteenth Judicial Circuit in Louisiana.
This is believed to be the first lawsuit naming Weber filed under a new law that temporarily eliminated the statute of limitations in childhood sexual abuse cases. In June 2021, Louisiana lawmakers joined states across the country by opening a three-year window for survivors of child sexual abuse to file lawsuits against those responsible for their abuse. The window remains open until 2024.
Jessica Arbour, one of the Plaintiff's attorneys, said, "Our client has waited a very long time for the opportunity to seek justice and accountability for those responsible for him when he was a vulnerable child in their care. Thanks to the dedication and action of Louisiana's lawmakers, he finally has a chance to seek justice in a court of law."
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Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Diocese of Baton Rouge 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 Baton Rouge 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.
Contact us at 888-283-9922 or adam@adamhorowitzlaw.com to discuss your options today.