A new grand jury report says that internal documents from six Catholic dioceses in Pennsylvania show that more than 300 “predator priests” have been credibly accused of sexually abusing more than 1,000 child victims.” (CNN)
We’ve worked with many clients on similar cases, including filings against the Darlington School in Rome, Ga, the Northeast Georgia Boy Scout Council, and two Athens, Georgia churches. While this grand jury report is expansive, laws in place in Pennsylvania make it almost impossible for the victims to achieve justice. In Pennsylvania and many other states, including in Georgia, victims must file suit at a very young age, are allowed little time for discovery, and cannot file criminal charges past a certain point.
During the 2018 Legislative Session, we worked to strengthen Georgia’s Hidden Predator Law, which would have expanded protections for these victims. Those efforts were unsuccessful, but we continue to use every effort avenue available to support victims of childhood sexual abuse and to advocate for changes to the law in Georgia.
See links below to stories about the Pennsylvania cases from CNN and The New York Times.