Arkansas Clergy Sexual Abuse Lawyer

Arkansas Attorneys Investigating Sexual Assault Claims Against the Roman Catholic Church Archdioceses

Child survivors of sexual assault by clergymen and priests often experience lifelong struggles involving depression, alcoholism, social anxiety, substance abuse, risky behavior, and suicidal ideation. The damage inflicted by an abusive religious leader on a young developing boy or girl is nearly immeasurable.

Sadly, clergy abuse only now becoming well-documented as a legal record due to the scrutiny of media and the release of “secret files” held by Church officials not interested in the damaging effects that the sexual abuse by priests caused the victims.

It takes great courage and self-respect for the sexually assaulted victim to speak out and identify the one that caused them harm. If you or your loved one is the victim of sexual abuse, the compassionate network of affiliate attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, LLC, can provide immediate legal assistance.

Our caring team understands the pain you are feeling and the bravery it takes to speak openly about what occurred. Our Catholic Church sexual assault lawyers are ready to hear your story. We have a comprehensive understanding of Arkansas tort law and will use the legal system to ensure the sexual predator faces the consequences they deserve for their unacceptable behavior.

Sexual Assault Involving Clergy is Still a Problem

The level of shame Church officials should be immense because they hid “secret files” from the public and law enforcement for decades. The Vatican, Cardinals, Bishops, pastors, priests, and other ecclesiastical members have gone to great lengths to protect pedophile priests knowing that their child sex abuse victims would find it nearly impossible to hold them and the predators accountable.

However, the legal system has fought hard to change the statute of limitation laws that now allow adult victims of abuse during their childhood to come forward and remove the shield that clergy pedophiles have hid behind for years.

Today, survivors of child sexual assault who cannot forget the horrific experience can force the pedophiles and Church officials to face the consequences of their unacceptable actions.

The Devastating Effects of Sexual Assault

Unfortunately, sexual abuse occurring in the Catholic Church is all too common, victimizing men and women, teens, and young children. The victims are often subjected to rape, incest, child molestation, nonconsensual sexual abuse, and nonconsensual inappropriate physical contact.

Men and boys who are sexually assaulted by religious leaders face an intense social stigma that often leads to ridicule and blame from others that he “was weak,” sexually curious, or desiring the sexual predator’s attention.

Women and girls sexually assaulted by priests and other clergymen are often labeled as promiscuous, uninhibited, immoral, or seeking men’s attention. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Religious leaders abuse most adult and childhood sexual assault victims because of the predator’s access to their prey and the confidence of the community that the priest could be trusted. Sadly, the consequences of sexual assault occurring in childhood can lead to severe problems through the victim’s developmental stages that include:

• Sexual behavior problems
• Anger and aggression
• Low self-esteem
• Social maladjustment
• Distrusting others
• Fear and anxiety
• Depressive symptoms
• Dissociative symptoms
• Sleep behavior problems
• Neurological changes
• Symptoms associated with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder)
• Developmental delays
• Delinquency
• Multiple sexual partners
• Teen pregnancy
• High risk of sexual behavior
• Strained family relationships
• Social isolation behavior
• Anorexia, bulimia and other eating disorders
• Self-mutilation behavior
• Blood-borne infections and sexually transmitted diseases
• Sexual revictimization
• Attempted suicide and suicidal ideation (thinking of suicide)

Get Justice Now

In June 2019, the Little Rock Catholic Diocese paid approximately $800,000 to five male defendants who had alleged that a parish priest sexually assaulted them when they were boys during the 1970s.

The victims had filed a claim alleging sexual assault occurred when they were students at Our Lady of the Holy Souls Catholic Church (Little Rock). The Roman Catholic Church in Arkansas agreed to pay the victims $790,000 to settle the case out of court.

The claim document stated that complainants were between twelve and fifteen years old when the sexual assault occurred on campus. Records indicate that witnesses had seen the perpetrator, Father John J. McDaniel, take the underage males to his bedroom in the Church rectory.

The parish’s insurance coverage of $250,000 (the policy limit at the time of the abuse) paid out a portion of the settlement, and the Diocese of Little Rock insurance fund paid out the remainder of the agreement.

Arkansas Roman Catholic Church Diocese

In Arkansas, the Catholic Church Diocese of Little Rock and its Bishop manage more than 132 parishes statewide (listed below). The Church provides services to more than 120,000 Catholics living in seventy-five counties.

Arkansas Dioceses

Roman Catholic Diocese of Little Rock
2500 N Tyler St
Little Rock, AR 72207
Bishop: Anthony Taylor
(501) 664-0340

Arkansas Clergy Sexual Abuse Lawyers are Here to Help

Our network of attorneys understands the challenges you face when speaking about the vile actions of what a clergy member did to you. We know the power of the Catholic Church when they fight back, saying to the community and law enforcement that nothing happened.

However, with Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, LLC, on your side, you will never face them alone. We can assure you that your shocking story will be heard by all those responsible when settling your case or presenting evidence at trial.

Let us open your case today. Talk to us now so we can start filing all the necessary paperwork. Your actions today can ensure that no one else will ever be sexually assaulted by the religious authority again. We will protect your rights, successfully resolve your case, and obtain financial compensation on your behalf.

Contact us now at (888) 424-5757. All information you share during an initial, free consultation concerning your case will remain confidential.