Leading up to the elimination of the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse in Michigan, the Michigan Attorney General’s office has been engaged in a multi-year investigation to unearth the long and deep history of priest and clergy sexual abuse in Michigan.
To date, more than 450 Catholic clergy members in Michigan have been accused of inflicting sex abuse on children and youth. Over 800 survivors have come forward to report incidents of priest sexual abuse from their childhoods. Many bishops, priests, and other clergy members have been accused of multiple acts of sexual abuse, and a long history of coverup on the part of Michigan dioceses has been unearthed. To avoid scandal, priests accused of child sexual abuse were often shuffled to a new parish, diocese or state–where they went on to inflict more harm. To date, eleven clergymembers have been convicted of priest sex abuse in Michigan.
When California passed similar legislation in 2002, Catholic dioceses there paid $1.2 billion in priest sex abuse settlements. Similar payouts have followed in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, after those states expanded the rights of survivors to report priest sexual abuse dating back decades. Damages may include past and future medical expenses related to the abuse (including mental health needs), emotional suffering, and punitive damages.
Deciding to report priest sexual abuse is a very personal choice and the wishes of the survivor always come first. As experienced personal injury attorneys, our Michigan priest sexual abuse lawyers have worked with countless families through the most difficult time in their lives. If you are a survivor of priest sexual abuse, we want you to know that what happened to you was not your fault. It is our mission to seek justice on behalf of you and others like you, and to help you access the compensation you need and deserve.
Bringing a perpetrator to justice for clergy sexual abuse in Michigan can help in your healing process, and also sends a strong message that clergy sexual abuse is not tolerated in Michigan any longer. If you would like to learn more about filing a claim, contact our firm for a free consultation. Our primary goal is to assist and support survivors as they take this brave step–bringing our expertise, considerable resources and determination to win on your behalf.
For decades, adult survivors of priest sexual abuse have been suffering in silence. From the stigma of sexual abuse to their previous lack of legal rights, most adult survivors have stayed silent. Yet today, with expanded rights to report these crimes and a statewide effort to root out clergy sexual abuse in Michigan, survivors of all ages are stepping up to disclose incidents that happened in their youth. Read full information about your rights as a survivor of priest sex abuse in Michigan.
Reporting harm that happened during your past can take a tremendous amount of courage. Yet adult survivors say that filing a Michigan priest sex abuse lawsuit can be an important step in the healing process. First, filing a clergy sexual abuse lawsuit in Michigan can serve to hold the Catholic parish, diocese or school leaders accountable for their failure to protect children. Second, you may be entitled to significant compensation for the pain and suffering you have experienced over the years. Read full information on filing a confidential priest sex abuse lawsuit in Michigan.
Our attorneys have compiled a list of common Michigan clergy sex abuse lawsuit questions and answers. From your role in a lawsuit to confidentiality, the cost of filing a claim to details on who is eligible to report, this page answers the most common Michigan priest sex abuse lawsuit questions received by our firm. To ask specific questions about your circumstances, our attorneys are providing free and confidential case reviews. Read full Michigan clergy sexual abuse lawsuit questions and answers.
Our team of Michigan priest sexual abuse attorneys bring great care to the work of representing adult survivors. We understand the sensitive nature of disclosing harm and trauma in your past. Through confidential and free case reviews, our Catholic clergy sexual abuse attorneys for Michigan can give you a sense of your legal rights and options. Read full information on legal representation from our priest sex abuse lawyers for Michigan claims.