Sexually Abused By A Catholic Priest In The Archdiocese Of Washington? We Can Help.
Our law firm is offering free, confidential evaluations of clergy sexual abuse claims involving priests of the Archdiocese of Washington. We have been handling clergy abuse cases for decades and have the experience you need to seek justice for what happened to you. Contact us today at 855-485-1673 to learn more.
Recent developments in the District of Columbia, including the passage of legislation that revives cases that are barred by the statute of limitations for a short period of time, have changed the legal landscape for survivors of sexual abuse by clergy in the Archdiocese of Washington. The legislation comes after groundbreaking law enforcement investigations across the country, including the monumental Pennsylvania Grand Jury report released in August 2018.
A new law will allow survivors of sexual abuse to recover damages for childhood sexual abuse no matter when they were abused.
The District of Columbia recently passed a regulation extending the statute of limitations for survivors of sexual abuse to file lawsuits against those responsible. Victims will now have until the age of 40 to file actions to recover damages in the courts of the District of Columbia, including those abused in the Archdiocese’s parishes in Maryland.
Importantly, the legislation also allows many of those who were sexually abused as a child to file a lawsuit for damages, even if their statute of limitations has already expired, for a limited period of time. This includes many people sexually abused by priests in the Archdiocese of Washington as children.
Under the Home Rule Act, if Congress does not object to the legislation, the law will become effective May 23, 2019, and the window will open immediately. Therefore, it is critically important that you contact us soon to discuss your legal options.
Through Our Own Investigation, We Have Identified 53 Catholic Priests Accused of Sexual Abuse in the Archdiocese of Washington, and that Number is Expected to Grow.
In October 2018, Archbishop Donald Cardinal Wuerl released the names of 28 priests that it said had been accused of sexually abusing minors in the Archdiocese of Washington, including three religious order priests. The Archdiocese defined the term “credibly accused” itself, and had total control over the investigation into the credibility of the underlying allegations, just as it had exclusive control over the criteria determining which priests were identified on its list.
That may well explain why the Archdiocese of Washington’s list is woefully deficient. Through our investigative efforts, we have identified 53 Catholic clergy assigned in the Archdiocese of Washington who have been publicly accused of sexually abusing minors. We believe it to be the most comprehensive list of accused priests publicly available today. In many cases, the priests listed below were the subject of multiple allegations, or were moved to a new parish after allegations arose.
The accused clergy we have identified are:
- Fr. Michael L. Barber (Jesuit)
- Fr. John F.X. Bellwoar (Jesuit)
- Fr. Francis Benham
- Fr. Salvatore Bucca
- Fr. Francis C. Bourbon (Jesuit)
- Fr. H. Cornell Bradley (Jesuit)
- Fr. John Fabian Butler (Dominican)
- Fr. Raymond Callahan
- Fr. Martin J. Casey (Jesuit)
- Fr. C. Thomas Chleboski, Jr.
- Fr. Aaron Joseph Cote (Dominican)
- Fr. Joseph Coyne
- Fr. Robert Cullen (Jesuit)
- Fr. Philip DeRea (Missionaries of the Sacred Heart)
- Fr. Russell L. Dillard
- Fr. R. Joseph Dooley
- Fr. John W. Eccleston
- Fr. James Aubrey Finan
- Fr. Roger P. Gallagher
- Fr. Stephen M. Garrity (Jesuit)
- Fr. Edward Hartel
- Fr. William E. Krouse
- Fr. James V. Lannon
- Fr. Paul E. Lavin
- Fr. Arthur J. Long (Jesuit)
- Aux. Bishop Thomas W. Lyons
- Fr. Peter M. McCutcheon
- Archbishop Theodore Cardinal McCarrick
- Br. Matthew Miles (Sacred Heart)
- Fr. J. Glenn Murray (Jesuit)
- Fr. Arthur J. O’Brien
- Fr. Garrett Orr (Jesuit)
- Fr. Robert Joseph Petrella
- Fr. James J. Powderly
- Fr. Edward B. Pritchard
- Fr. Thomas Pyne (Jesuit)
- Fr. Walter D. Salisbury (Josephite)
- Fr. Thomas S. Schaefer
- Fr. Michael Schapfel
- Fr. James A. Scott
- Fr. Joseph Skelton, Jr.
- Fr. Timothy Slevin
- Fr. Alphonsus Smith
- Fr. Dan P. Stallings
- Fr. George A. Stallings, Jr.
- Fr. William McSherry Stock
- Fr. Ronald J. Tully (Augustinian)
- Fr. Paul T. Twiddy
- Fr. Urbano Vazquez Ortega (Capuchin Franciscan)
- Fr. William Walsh (Jesuit)
- Fr. William Wehrle (Jesuit)
- Fr. William Wert (Carmelite)
- Fr. Miguel Umana Zelaya
Horowitz Law represents victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Archdiocese of Washington in Washington, D.C. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in the Archdiocese of Washington, contact our office today. Although many years have passed, those abused by Catholic clergy in the Archdiocese of Washington 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 the District of Columbia and nationwide. We can help.
Contact us toll-free at 855-485-1673 or send an email to discuss your options today.