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

The job of a Roman Catholic religious leader is to offer moral and spiritual guidance to young and old parishioners. However, when the priest violates that level of trust, the damage can be long-lasting. In recent years, victims of predatory priest sexual abuse have come forward to make accusations that clergy members have been sexually assaulting young adults, teenagers, and children for decades.

In response, Catholic officials typically looked the other way. They failed to report the allegations to local law enforcement, choosing instead to relocate the priest to another parish to continue the inappropriate behavior somewhere else.

Many victims who survived unspeakable sexual abuse only come forward decades after suffering in silence for years with physical, mental, and emotional trauma. The compassionate network of affiliate attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, LLC, can help you or a loved one with legal assistance involving surviving sexual assault. Our caring team of lawyers can protect your rights and help you speak about what happened.

Our clergy sexual abuse injury lawyers are ready to hear your story confidentially. We use our comprehensive knowledge of Washington tort law to build your case to ensure that the sexual perpetrator faces the consequences they deserve for what they did.

Clergy Sexual Assault – An Ongoing Problem

In 2016, the Seattle Archdioceses released a list identifying seventy-seven clergy members residing or ministering in western Washington with credible allegations of sexually molesting children. Some of the priests on the published list admitted they were guilty of the sexual assault of innocent victims that occurred between 1923 and 2008.

Thirty reverends served the Archdiocese, and another sixteen priests belonged to religious orders.

More than half of the predatory priests are now deceased, and fifteen other religious leaders no longer minister as priests. There is no current information concerning at least fourteen other clergymen on the list. The Archdiocese wants other victims of sexual assault to contact the church to discuss their case.

The Devastating Effects of Sexual Assault

Only recently have Church officials begun offering to pay sexual assault victims’ counseling expenses after they were injured by the parish priest, pastor, bishop, cardinal, and another religious leader. Sadly, many sexual abuse victims feel out of control and are unable to express a wide range of feelings that they have kept silent for years or decades.

Family and friends may be unaware that the victim needs a safe environment to speak confidentially about how a religious leader and church caused their pain.

When the victim exposes the Catholic Church and its failure to respond to a priest sexually assaulting them at an early age, it often affects the family’s dynamics. The survivor may choose to stay in silence or speak out to ensure the predator is held accountable.

They will likely experience a plethora of feelings, including guilt, shame, sadness, anger, or others about what happened during their childhood.

The victim’s family might also be angered after learning what the priest did to their loved one. Even with the best counseling care, the victim may still choose to engage in risky behavior or live an oversexualized lifestyle.

Seeking Justice

In November 2018, the Archdiocese of Seattle agreed to an out of court settlement for nearly $7 million to resolve six cases involving sexual assault committed by religious leaders. Three of the victims allege that they were underage when reverends in the Archdiocese of Seattle Roman Catholic Church in Washington State sexually molested them. These incidents were alleged to have occurred from the 1960s through the 1980s in Port Angeles, Burien, Takoma, and Seattle, Washington.

Two years earlier, in 2016, the Church settled eight sexual assault cases for approximately $9 million to resolve cases involving Reverend Michael Cody sexually assaulting women when they were children. The incidents occurred in Skagit and Whatcom counties from 1968 through 1974.

An additional lawsuit in 2015 was settled for $1.2 million after a victim from Sedro-Wooley revealed the same priest had sexually assaulted her during the late 1960s through the early 1970s.

Washington Roman Catholic Church Diocese

In Washington, the Catholic Church is the single largest religious group of all faiths statewide. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle, two dioceses, and their Bishops manage more than 300 Churches and ninety-seven Catholic schools across the State of Washington (listed below). The Church provides services to thousands of registered Catholics, parochial school children, and catechism students living in thirty-nine counties.

Washington Dioceses

Roman Catholic Diocese of Yakima
5301 Tieton Dr. A
Yakima, WA 98908
(509) 965-7117
Bishop: Joseph J. Tyson

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle
710 9th Ave
Seattle, WA 98104
(206) 382-4560
Bishop: Paul D. Etienne
Cathedral: St. James Cathedral

Roman Catholic Diocese of Spokane
525 E Mission Ave
Spokane, WA 99202
(509) 358-7300
Bishop: Thomas Anthony Daly
Cathedral: Cathedral Of Our Lady of Lourdes

Washington Clergy Sexual Abuse Attorneys Are Ready to Help

Our network of affiliate attorneys understands how difficult it is to speak out about how the despicable clergy member harmed you. We know that the church uses its power and money to push back and say that what happened was not wrong.

However, with Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, LLC, on your side, you will never deal with the Church or its attorneys alone. We will ensure that all those responsible will hear your shocking story when we settle your case or present evidence at trial.

Let us open your case today to begin filing all the necessary paperwork on your behalf before the Washington statute of limitations expires. 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. Contact us now at (888) 424-5757. All information you share during an initial, free consultation concerning your case will remain confidential.