What You Need to Know: Sexual Abuse and the California Clergy

Sexual abuse and sexual assault in the clergy has been an ongoing problem for well over a century in the United States. Most notably found in the Catholic Church, no religious organization is exempt from sexual abuse controversies. California alone has been the subject of several scandals involving clergy sexual abuse.

Although there has been documentation of allegations of sexual abuse for more than 70 years in the archdiocese of Los Angeles, the most high profile of these cases occurred between 1970 and into the 1990s. In 1995, for example, now former priest Michael S. Baker was charged with having oral sex with a minor. In 2007, the Catholic archdiocese of Los Angeles paid $660 million to 508 victims in an unprecedented pay-out deal. A BBC article from the same year reports that, since 2002, almost 1,000 people have filed sexual abuse claims against the California Roman Catholic Church.

Sexual abuse by clergy is a pervasive and longstanding problem

While California is a state highly affected by clergy sexual abuse, efforts exist to collate data across the entire United States on accused priests. One such document is the Database of Publicly Accused Priests in the United States, which is browse-able, searchable, and available for free online.

In 2002, California allowed a one-year window for victims of clergy sexual abuse to file lawsuits, even if their cases were several decades old. In one year, nearly 800 cases were opened and filed. The state has been one of the places with the highest reports of priest sexual abuse, particularly to minors. One such case that was recently closed in early 2017 was that of a plaintiff who won a settlement for child sexual abuse by a priest that occurred in the 1990s.

Victims of abuse by church leaders have recourse for their suffering

If you have been the victim of sexual abuse by clergy in California, you will want to hire a Los Angeles sexual abuse attorney to help you understand your options and best form of recourse. There have been many high profile multi-victim cases—as well as single victim cases—that have been successfully litigated by capable attorneys.

While the statute of limitations on clergy sexual abuse does exist in California, with an adept attorney, you might be able to circumvent it if the incident(s) in your case happened beyond it. The statute of limitations is three years, but it is not three years from the time of the abuse. The timing on the statute of limitations rests on discovery of injury – meaning when you first discover the damages done, not the date of the abuse. Due to the significant heartbreak and anguish these cases cause, it is worth it to obtain legal counsel as soon as the effects of the abuse become obvious.

California has had a rash of clergy sexual abuse in the past several decades, and if you are a victim of clergy sexual abuse, you are entitled to legal counsel and restitution. In the Los Angeles area, the law firm of Taylor & Ring has extensive experience litigating and settling sexual abuse and assault cases involving California’s clergy. Call us at 310.776.6390 or contact us today for a consultation.

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