Episcopal Church Sexual Abuse – Children are Vulnerable
Clergy sex abuse is not limited to just the Roman Catholic Church just because so many people are its members. Churches with smaller numbers are an equally dangerous place for children. In the Episcopal Church, Bishops are responsible for the regional diocese. Thus, they are responsible for performing background checks of the clergy retained and hired by them. However, similar to the Roman Catholic Church, the Episcopal Church has its share of clergy sex abuse cases as well. Not only children, criminal lawsuits filed against the priests of the Episcopal Church indicate that women were also sexually abused by youth leaders and priests under the pretext of pastoral counseling.
If you think that only youth leaders or newly instated priests are the perpetrators or enemy, you are in for a big surprise. Priests who have been serving a particular church for more than 20 years at the same location have been prosecuted criminally for clergy abuse. As a matter of fact, when a priest stays at one church for many years, he is able to gain the confidence of church members and the surrounding community overall. This encourages the members to allow their children and distressed women to confide with the priest – sometimes all alone.
Several criminal lawsuits have been filed against priests of the Episcopal Church; however, very few civil suits are known to be filed. The problem with bringing civil suits against organizations like the Episcopal Church for priest sexual abuse is the fact that little is known to the outer world about their organizational structure and the way their hierarchy runs.
Rogatinsky & Matthews is dedicated to sexual abuse survivors and we are ready to help you with your clergy sexual abuse problem.Rogatinsky & Matthews is a law firm that handles sexual abuse cases throughout the United States. Knowing how an organization functions is instrumental in filing civil lawsuits against a powerful organization like Episcopal Church. If you have been sexually abused by an Episcopal Church priest, contact clergy abuse attorney Samuel Rogatinsky. His understanding and guidance will lead you in the direction you need to go.
If someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse by a member of the clergy, contact our law firm at (954) 995.3805 or send an email to sexual abuse lawyer Samuel Rogatinsky at samr@clergyabuse.org