Catholic church sex abuse News

Report: Catholic Clergy Sexually Abused Illinois Kids More Often Than Church Said

CHICAGO (AP) – More than 450 Catholic clergy in Illinois sexually abused nearly 2,000 children since 1950, the state’s attorney general found in an investigation released Tuesday, revealing that the problem was far worse than the church had let on. …

Ex-Cardinal Charged in Wisconsin With Sex Abuse

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – The defrocked Roman Catholic cardinal who became the face of the church’s clergy sex abuse crisis has been charged in Wisconsin with sexually assaulting an 18-year-old man more than 45 years ago, court records show. A …

Maryland Lawmakers Approve Bill to Remove Time Limit on Child Sex Abuse Suits

Maryland lawmakers have passed a bill to end the state’s statute limiting when civil lawsuits over child sex abuse can be filed against public and private entities. Under the Child Victims Act of 2023, actions for damages arising out of …

Victims Question If Baltimore Church Sex Abuse Report Is Complete

While the Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore has long touted its transparency in publishing the names of clergy credibly accused of sexual abuse, a report released this week by the Maryland attorney general’s office raises questions about whether the church’s list …

Albany Diocese Files for Bankruptcy Protection Amid Sex Abuse Litigation

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in New York as it, like other dioceses in the state, faces hundreds of lawsuits by survivors of sexual abuse by priests. Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger of …

Judge Approves Release of Baltimore Church Sex Abuse Report

A judge on Tuesday granted the Maryland Attorney General’s Office permission to publicly release a redacted version of an investigative report detailing sex abuse allegations against more than 150 Roman Catholic priests and examining the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s response. Officials …

Maryland Lawmakers Advance Bill to End Time Limit on Sex Abuse Civil Suits

A key panel of Maryland lawmakers on Friday advanced a measure that would end the state’s statute of limitations for when civil lawsuits can be filed against public and private institutions related to child sexual abuse. The Maryland Senate Judicial …

Bishop Testifies Against Bill to End Child Abuse Reporting Exemption for Clergy

The Roman Catholic Church’s rite of confession must remain confidential, even if someone tells a priest that a child has been abused, the bishop who leads Vermont’s diocese testified Friday. Bishop Christopher Coyne told the state Senate Judiciary Committee that …

Ex-Cardinal Cites Dementia In Asking Court to Dismiss Sex Assault Case

Lawyers for former Roman Catholic Cardinal Theodore McCarrick filed a motion this week to dismiss a case charging him with sexually assaulting a boy decades ago, saying the 92-year-old once-powerful American prelate has dementia and is not competent to stand …

Lawsuits Alleging Maine Church Knew About Sex Abuse Now Number 14

Two more people have filed lawsuits alleging sexual abuse by a Roman Catholic clergy member and a nun — both deceased — raising the number to over a dozen since Maine loosened the statute of limitations last year. One of …