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Child sexual abuse is alarmingly common. Roughly one in ten children are sexually abused at some point. This umbrella term includes both physical and verbal abuse. Both are equally harmful. Generally, sexual abuse is any act which degrades the victim in any way, and gratifies the abuser’s sexual appetites in any way. After hundreds of…
Many psychologists say there are basically seven types of clergy sexual abuse. If you were a victim of such abuse, a clergy abuse attorney may be able to obtain both compensation and justice. The compensation in these cases usually includes money for economic losses, such as therapy expenses, and noneconomic losses, such as pain and…
While the power to stop sexual abuse lies with the people around the survivors, the power to obtain compensation lies with a priest abuse attorney. An experienced lawyer knows how to collect evidence in these cases, even if the abuse occurred years ago. Additionally, attorneys know how to use the law to protect people whether…
Many sexual abuse survivors are understandably reluctant to come forward. Since the abuser was in a position of trust, many victims do not want the abuser to “get in trouble.” Others fear retaliation against themselves or others. Still other cases involved delayed disclosure. The victim initially said there was no abuse, and later changes his…
When it comes to ending child sex abuse in the Catholic Church, policy and procedure statements, like the child protection policy, are an important step in the right direction. However, such documents only go so far. Initiatives like the Safe Environment Coordinator program are an important additional step. The SEC is basically the point person…
In 2004, largely in response to a Boston Globe expose on the subject, Church officials released the long-awaited Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. This 30-page document has been revised and updated several times, most recently in 2011. Sexual abuse incidents, and the associated cover-ups, have rocked the Catholic Church in recent…