Church Sexual Abuse Lawyers

The problem of church sexual abuse is not a recent one. Many of the survivors who have come forward in recent years discuss incidents that occurred decades ago.  It’s a typical experience, according to advocates for childhood sexual abuse survivors. Many survivors describe feeling overwhelmed by the emotional and spiritual suffering that comes with revealing a clergyperson’s history of sexual abuse. Many survivors have been unwilling to face the hurt of reliving old trauma since their “statute of limitations” for seeking legal retribution has long passed. Survivors have been unsure if telling their stories is worth the trauma since they do not have a legal remedy.

In order to recognize how time-expired statutes of limitations discourage survivors from coming forward, several states have introduced legislation that effectively “revives” civil claims and criminal charges against clergy sexual abuse. According to ChildUSA, several states now allow prosecutors to bring criminal charges and survivors to pursue civil action for abuse that occurred years ago, as reported by the children’s advocacy organization ChildUSA. The laws in some states have also been expanded to allow claims against not just offenders, but also church organizations that enabled or ignored clergy sexual abuse.

With these new weapons in hand, survivors of clergy sexual misconduct may be more empowered to seek justice. Their methodologies might prove particularly effective at holding religious organizations accountable. The preponderance of the evidence standard, which is a lower burden of proof than “beyond a reasonable doubt,” is used in most civil lawsuits seeking money damages. In such cases, simply demonstrating that an individual’s conduct caused harm to another person or property is sufficient (that is, “more likely than not”). That is, in many situations, even if a state prosecutor can’t build a case for criminal charges, survivors may still seek compensation and justice in civil court.

State laws on pursuing justice for past church sexual abuse continue to develop, making it vital to have a legal team like Texas Personal Injury Lawyers that are aware of any new developments in the legal field. We anticipate that more survivors of church sexual abuse will come forward as more states modify their legislation to allow for civil actions, particularly against priests and church organizations. Now is the time to contact one of our sex abuse attorneys.

Church Sexual Abuse And The Long-Term Consequences Affected By Its Survivors

Those who are sexually assaulted by religious leaders, both Catholic and otherwise, may experience significant health and psychological problems. Sexual abuse is a particularly terrible offense not only because of the devastating impact it can have on a person at the moment but also because of the long-term effects that sexual abuse may have. Survivors of sexual abuse frequently endure physical damage as a result of their traumatic experience, which may manifest in the form of straightforward bodily harm as well as sickness. The following are examples of typical physical damage endured by sexual abuse survivors:

• Contusions (bruises)
• Broken bones
• Sexually transmitted infections
• Damage to the genitals

Those who have suffered sexual abuse as children are more likely to suffer from a variety of health issues throughout their lives. According to studies, those who have been sexually assaulted are more likely to get the following diseases.

• Obesity
• Chronic pain
• Gastrointestinal health issues
• Gynecologic or reproductive health issues
• Cardiopulmonary symptoms

There is also the mental anguish that clergy sexual abuse victims must deal with. Psychological trauma may not be as tangible as a broken bone caused by sexual assault, but it can have significant long-term consequences. The mental health of a person may be affected by psychological disorders, which can disrupt their relationships, careers, and life in general. The following are some prevalent psychological problems that clergy sexual abuse victims experience.

• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Anxiety disorders
• Depression
• Eating disorders
• Personality disorders

Legal Recourse For Clergy Sexual Abuse

Survivors of clergy sexual abuse have a wide range of motives for sharing their experiences. Some are seeking personal resolution. Others want to see justice served at long last. In our experience, nearly all want to assist in preventing future clergy sexual abuse against other churchgoers.

Our clients’ reasons may vary, but our objective is to offer sound, sensible, honest, and straightforward legal counsel that allows them to make the greatest decision possible about how to proceed and what action to take. The following are some of the alternatives they have:

• Seeking Money Damages For Sexual Abuse 

Because of the enormous sums involved, money damages are typically considered a “remedy” in almost any civil case looking for justice for clergy sexual abuse. Of course, simply paying money will not repair the severe wounds caused by clergy sexual abuse. However, compensation might help to offset the expenses incurred as a result of that abuse, for the problems they’ve had to overcome, and for future treatment costs in order to assist survivors to heal. Money compensations are frequently awarded:

• Expenses for mental health counseling and other therapy, past and future;
• Medical expenses for treatment of injuries suffered during abuse
• Pain and suffering from the abuse and its aftermath;
• Impaired personal relationships; and
• When possible, statutory and/or punitive damages.

Of course, each scenario is unique. What may be considered “recoverable” in one case may not be an option in another. We collaborate closely with our clients at Texas Personal Injury Lawyers to determine the numerous methods of financial compensation that might help them achieve a sense of justice.

• Seeking Injunctive Relief After Sexual Abuse

In addition to monetary compensation, victims may pursue “injunctive relief,” which is the legal term for a court order compelling someone to do something. In civil legal actions alleging church sexual abuse, some survivors have obtained “injunctions” ordering churches to take action to prevent future occurrences of abuse.

Texas Personal Injury lawyers work with clients to identify potential routes for pursuing “injunctive” relief. Every case is unique, and each may require various “injunctive” remedies. We work to provide our customers with a realistic evaluation of the range of relief they may anticipate from a civil legal course of action.