Jesuit Priests Named for Credible or Established Accusations of Child Sexual Abuse
The Roman Catholic Jesuit province, which serves most of the eastern United States, has released a list of Jesuit priests who have been credibly accused or who face established claims of sexual abuse of minors. The claims date back to 1950. The Maryland Province of the Society of Jesus named five of the men who are living, and another eight who are deceased. Two of the claims involve priests with connections to New Jersey. The men named are or were part of a Catholic order that includes over 16,000 men worldwide. They served in churches, high schools, colleges, and elsewhere.
The claims are the most recent in a wave of similar disclosures that have been issued by Jesuit governing bodies. Two other Jesuit provinces recently released the names of over 150 priests and ministry leaders facing credible allegations of sexual abuse. Those provinces cover nearly half the United States.
Most of the cases connected to the Maryland province date back decades, with the most recent incident occurring in 2002. The province disclosed that the five accused who are living are in supervised housing on a safety plan. Their goal in disclosing the names, they have said, is to promote reconciliation and healing.
Some of the accused Jesuit priests were removed from ministry in the 1990s. However, others were not removed until a long time after the Catholic church sex abuse scandal exploded in 2002. Many priests were not removed from ministry until decades after they were accused.
Transparency is Needed
Although victims and advocates are relieved that lists of predatory priests are finally being revealed, they see the disclosures that have been offered by the church as wholly inadequate. They do not trust that the lists are complete, or that all the horrors have yet been revealed. They want the whole truth so that they can move forward with hope and healing, and so that the reprehensible behavior can be prevented in the future.
New Jersey Clergy Abuse Lawyers at the Law Offices of Harold J. Gerr Fight for Victims of Clergy Abuse
We understand how incredibly difficult it can be to stand up to the Catholic church after suffering sexual abuse or assault. The New Jersey clergy abuse lawyers at the Law Offices of Harold J. Gerr can help you hold your attacker accountable, even if the abuse happened long ago. We have handled many clergy abuse cases successfully, and we hail your desire to make your voice heard. We offer compassionate and responsive service and tireless representation for your case. To schedule a free consultation, please call us at 732-537-8570 or contact us online.
Located in Highland Park, New Jersey, we proudly serve clients from the surrounding areas, including New Brunswick, Somerset, Piscataway, Edison, South River, Sayreville, Metuchen, East Brunswick, South Plainfield, Fords, Middlesex, Old Bridge, Iselin, Bound Brook, Perth Amboy, and Colonia.
