Clergy sexual abuse survivors live everyday with the weight of their trauma. In Maryland, clergy sexual assault victims can pursue fair compensation for the traumatic events they have experienced by taking legal action against the church responsible for their abuse. Survivors of clergy sexual abuse and their family members can hold religious leaders accountable for the actions of these sexual predators by pursuing at fault damages in civil court. Our law firm of trauma informed clergy sexual abuse lawyers has a perfect record standing up against religious organizations who harbor sexual predators and can help you achieve the justice you deserve.
While seeking compensation cannot undo the trauma abuse survivors live with everyday, it gives sexual abuse survivors an opportunity to improve the quality of their lives by seeking treatment for the abuse they have suffered. Healing from this trauma may take years, but allows abuse survivors to improve their mental health and overall wellbeing. What happened is not your fault. Sexual predators in the Maryland clergy used the Catholic Church to prey on innocent children. The attorneys at our firm are here to help you achieve the justice you deserve.
Maryland Clergy Abuse Resources
- Get Help Filing a Clergy Sexual Abuse Claim
- What Are Clergy Sexual Abuse Settlements?
- History of Alleged Clergy Sexual Abuse in Maryland
- How a Maryland Clergy Sexual Abuse Lawyer Can Help
- What Is Clergy Sexual Abuse?
- Long-Term Effects of Clergy Sexual Abuse
- Take Action with Help From Our Firm
Seek Justice With a Maryland Clergy Sexual Abuse Lawsuit
Whether it was you or a family member who suffered personal injury due to priest sexual abuse, a clergy sexual abuse lawyer can help you explore your legal options. Our trauma informed law firm has a long history of holding religious institutions accountable for sexual acts perpetrated on the innocent by their clergy members.
Sexual misconduct by clergy members of the Catholic Church is so widespread that many states are amending their laws to support survivors for clergy abuse. These changes generally impact the statutes of limitations in order to allow those who suffered sex abuse as young children to seek compensation through judicial proceedings. Our clergy sexual abuse lawyers can help you pursue legal action against the Maryland Catholic Church.
Damages caused by clergy sexual abuse that can be pursued in civil litigation against the Church include those that are both economic and non-economic in nature. These punitive damage can include:
- Emotional wounds caused by the pain and suffering of coping with sexual abuse trauma
- Lost wages
- Loss of a normal life
- Mental anguish
- Ongoing and future medical expenses including counseling and therapy
Get Help Filing a Maryland Clergy Sexual Abuse Claim
At Estey & Bomberger, LLP., our clergy sexual abuse lawyers in Maryland offer free and 100% confidential consultations. This allows you to speak with someone regarding the details of your case so that you can have any questions you have answered before moving forward with your claim. During your consultation, we will provide a thorough evaluation of your case and offer advice on how to proceed with your unique claim.
We understand the sensitive nature of clergy sexual assault cases. Your privacy is paramount to every member of our team. If you choose to remain anonymous, our Maryland clergy sexual abuse lawyers will protect your privacy while providing you with prompt legal action.
Our goal is to help you achieve both justice and financial compensation for the abuse you have suffered. This will allow you to retain the resources necessary to make a positive impact on your quality of life.
So that everyone can afford our services without having to worry about how to pay, we never charge a fee unless we win. We have a perfect record in religious institution sexual abuse cases.
Ready to get started on the path towards justice? Contact our office today to learn more or to schedule a no obligation, confidential, and free case evaluation.
What Are Clergy Sexual Abuse Settlements?
A clergy abuse settlement is financial compensation awarded in civil court to survivors of sexual assault perpetrated by a clergy member. Whether the abuser was a catholic priest, evangelical pastor, church leader, or anyone else working at a religious institution, Maryland laws allow sexual abuse survivors to seek justice through punitive damages.
Civil lawsuits allow abuse survivors to hold the institutions that harbor sexual predators financially accountable for criminal sexual conduct. In cases such as those of the Maryland Catholic Dioceses, many of the accused catholic priests have passed away. Holding these clergy members accountable in court is no longer an option. Do not let concerns about statutes of limitations keep you from contacting our law firm. Our team believes that any state law with statute of limitations towards the sexual abuse of young children need to be reexamined in order to allow survivors to achieve the justice they rightly deserve.
Our Maryland clergy sexual abuse lawyers will conduct a thorough investigation to uncover any evidence of knowledge of sexual abuse within the religious organization. By now, reports of churches concealing claims of sexual abuse by their clergy members to avoid civil damages and criminal charges are well documented. The time is now to hold clergy members and religious institutions accountable for the damages they have caused their victims. Once innocent children have grown to adults who suffer everyday due to the abuse perpetrated by these heinous sexual predators.
History of Alleged Sexual Abuse in the Archdiocese of Baltimore
In Maryland, the history of sexual abuse within the Catholic Church is so prevalent that Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown recently published a report on child sexual abuse in the archdiocese of Baltimore. Based on material obtained from the Maryland Office of the Attorney General, this report describes accusations against a long list of Maryland clergy members within the Catholic Church who sexually abused innocent children from the 1940s through 2002.
156 Baltimore Archdiocese clergy members are listed in the report released by the Maryland Attorney General’s Office. Of these 156, the names of 10 abusers were redacted in the April 2023 interim public release of the Report by order of the Circuit Court for Baltimore City. These redactions were due to the fact that it was not known if these members of the clergy were deceased at the time of the Report. Redacted names have not been credibly accused by the Archdiocese of Baltimore and they have also not been listed previously or otherwise publicly identified.
The remaining list of abusers includes:
- Father Louis Affrica
- Father James Avant
- Father Bruce Ball
- Father John Banko
- Father Michael Barnes
- Father Thomas Bauernfeind
- Father Vincent Bechtel
- Father Ronald Belschner
- Father Thomas Bevan
- Father Maurice Blackwell
- Father Louis Bonacci
- Father John Bostwick
- Reverend H. Cornell Bradley
- Father William Braun
- Father Laurence Brett
- Father Frederick Brinkmann
- Stephen Brotzman
- Father Wayland Brown
- Father Gerard Bugge
- Father Robert Callahan
- Father John Carney
- Monsignor John Corbett
- Father Brian Cox
- Father Charles Coyle
- Father Fernando Cristancho
- Father Robert Cullen
- Father Joseph Davies
- Father Richard Deakin
- Father Alfred Dean
- Father Donald Dimitroff
- Brother Francis Dolan
- Father James Dowdy
- Father Robert Duerr
- Father John Duggan*
- *The John Duggan identified as an abuser in the report is a Jesuit priest. He is not the same person as the late Archdiocese of Baltimore Chancellor John Duggan.
- Father Frederick Duke
- Father Walter Emala
- Father Francis Ernst
- Father Luigi Esposito
- Father Terence Evans
- Father Alfred Ewanowski
- Father Kenneth Farabaugh
- Father Alphonsus Figlewski
- Deacon Joseph Firlie
- Father Carl Fisher
- Sister Theonella Flood
- Father Daniel Free
- Father Joseph Gallagher
- Father Joseph Gerg
- Father Steven Girard
- Father Mark Haight
- Father John Hammer
- Father Edward Heilman
- Father Marion Helowicz
- Father Joseph Hill
- Monsignor Robert Hiltz
- Father George Hopkins
- Father Joseph Hopkins
- Father Robert Hopkins
- Father William Jameson
- Father Albert Julian
- Deacon John Justice
- Father Thomas F. Kelly
- Father Thomas M. Kelly
- Father Joseph Kenney
- Father Simon Kenny
- Father Paul Knapp
- Father Michael Kolodziej
- Father Joseph Krach
- Father William “Jay” Krouse
- Father Joseph Kruse
- Deacon Thomas Kuhl
- Brother Xavier Langan
- Father Michael LaMountain
- Father James Lannon
- Father Ross LaPorta
- Father Regis Larkin
- Father David Leary
- Father Francis LeFevre
- Father Robert Lentz
- Father John Lippold
- Father Robert John Lochner
- Father Anthony Lorento
- Father George Loskarn
- Father Edward Neil Magnus
- Father Ronald Mardaga
- Father Kenneth Martin
- Father Joseph Maskell
- Father Benedict Mawn
- Brother Constantine McCarthy
- Monsignor William McCrory
- Father Francis McGrath
- Father Eugene McGuire
- Patrick McIntyre
- Brother Lawrence Meegen
- Father Raymond Melville
- John Merzbacher
- Father Joseph Messer
- Father Ronald Michaud
- Father William Migliorini
- Father John Mike
- Father Jerome Moody
- Brother Eugene Morgan
- Brother William Morgan
- Father John Mountain
- Father Timothy Murphy
- Father J. Glenn Murray
- Father Alan Nagle
- Father Robert Newman
- Deacon Leo O’Hara
- Father Garrett Orr
- Father Henry O’Toole
- Father John Padian
- Father John Peacock
- Father Dennis Pecore
- Father Adrian Poletti
- Eric Price
- Father Blair Raum
- Brother Thomas Rochacewicz
- Father Francis Roscetti
- Father Charles Rouse
- Brother Marius John Shine
- Father William Simms
- Father David Smith
- Monsignor Richard Smith
- Father Thomas Smith
- Father Michael Spillane
- Father Albert Stallings
- Father Edmund Stroup
- Brother Cuthbert Sullivan
- Father Francis Sweeney
- Father Alcuin Tasch
- Brother Cuthbert/Joseph Thibault
- Brother Thomas Tomasunas
- Father Jerome Toohey
- Father James Toulas
- Father Gerald Tragesser
- Father Jorge Velez-Lopez
- Father Francis Wagner
- Father William Walsh
- Father William Wehrle
- Monsignor Thomas Whelan
- Father John Wielebski
- Monsignor Roger Wooden
- Father Howard Yeakle
- Sister Francis Yocum
- Monsignor Henry Zerhusen
Unfortunately, an accurate list of how many priests have been accused of sexual abuse simply does not exist. While the report gives an outline of the Maryland’s Catholic Church clergy abuse dating back to the 1940s, it does not take into account evangelist parishes. The total number of sexual abuse within religious institutions throughout the state could very well be in the thousands.
The hard reality of these cases is that there may never be a clear answer regarding how many priests abused their position of authority within the church. The more survivors seek justice for the sexual abuse they have suffered, the more light can be shined on this darkness that plagues religious institutions throughout Maryland.
How Can a Maryland Clergy Sexual Abuse Lawyer Help?
If you or a family member are a survivor of sexual abuse by a clergy member in the state of Maryland, you can pursue justice by filing a civil lawsuit with the help of our sexual abuse lawyers. Seeking financial compensation with a civil suit allows you to hold religious institutions accountable for the abuse you suffered at the hands of their clergy members. Our clergy sexual abuse lawyers hold a perfect record advocating for clients and will fight for you in order to achieve a favorable result to your claim.
At Estey & Bomberger, LLP., we do more than simply provide clients with world-class legal counsel. We offer clients a wealth of resources to help cope with the impact that surviving sexual has on someone’s life. Our compassionate team includes certified sexual assault advocates who provide support at every step of the way. The goal of our law firm is to advocate for our clients in the courtroom while giving them the tools they need to begin the healing process.
Our Maryland clergy sexual abuse attorneys work on contingency, which means we never charge a fee unless we win your case. Estey & Bomberger, LLP has earned a national reputation thanks to our 100% success rate standing up for the rights of religious institution sexual abuse survivors. If you would like more information, or if you are ready to schedule a confidential and free consultation with no obligations, contact us today.
What Is Clergy Sexual Abuse?
Sexual abuse takes on many forms. Clergy sexual abuse perpetrated by Catholic Church members throughout Maryland include but are not limited to:
- Attempted rape
- Rape – including serial and gang rape
- Sodomy
- Any indecent action including sexual penetration, stimulation, and humiliation
- Extortion for sexual acts
- Sexual harassment
- Recording sexual activity without consent. This includes but is not limited to video, photographs, or recordings of any humiliating or degrading sexual activity
- Sharing pornographic materials with minors
- Sexual remarks or propositions
If you or a family member have survived any of these types of sexual abuse or assault by a clergy member, you may qualify for financial compensation.
What Are The Long-Term Effects of Clergy Sexual Abuse?
Clergy sexual abuse victims may suffer from harmful mental health and social injuries such as:
- General mistrust of others
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Intimacy issues including lack of libido
- Trouble with interpersonal contact
More than just another personal injury law firm, our premier legal team prides ourselves in providing clients with a wide range of resources outside of the courtroom. Our clergy sexual abuse attorneys in Maryland understand the difficulty of coping with the life-altering consequences of surviving sexual abuse. Supporting our clients and allowing them to heal so that they can live a full life is what we find truly rewarding.
Our Firm Helps Survivors of Clergy Sexual Abuse in Maryland
By taking action against those who caused you harm, and the religious institutions that harbored these sexual predators, you can help protect the innocent in the future. If you or a family member have been living with the burden of surviving clergy sexual abuse, we will be your advocates.
Seeking compensation with the help of our Maryland clergy sexual abuse lawyers can hold those who have caused you harm accountable for their actions. We will work tirelessly so that you can achieve justice. Our team is here to support you throughout the legal process so that you can begin to move forward.
Contact us today to schedule a confidential and free consultation so you can get started on the path towards a better tomorrow.