Damages for Clergy Sexual Abuse

Childhood sexual abuse by trusted clergymen can be extremely damaging to victims. Historically, many were reluctant to come forward about abuse they suffered as children because of the stigma. But we now know that clergy abuse is more common than was previously believed and that the church’s decision to hide this information led to more children being victimized by the same perpetrators. The Attorney General’s Office has put out a new report of its investigation of clergy abuse at the six Catholic diocese across the state. The investigation spanned 2019 through 2023. The report reveals many more victims and perpetrators than previously admitted by the church—investigators found there were 494 perpetrators of childhood sexual abuse across the six dioceses and 1997 victims. If you or your child needs to recover damages in a clergy abuse lawsuit, the seasoned Chicago clergy sexual abuse lawyers of Moll Law Group may be able to represent you.

Signs of sexual abuse in children can include sudden refusals to participate in physical activities, discomfort while moving around, early pregnancies, early venereal diseases, nightmares, bed wetting, changes in appetite, changes in grades, substance abuse, running away, and unusual sexual knowledge for their age. Sometimes children do report sexual abuse, but quite often they are afraid to, or they report some time after the incidents. In some cases, they have been groomed by perpetrators who have chosen them because they are children who seem more likely to stay quiet or feel afraid to report. Grooming behaviors can include paying tons of attention or providing gifts to a child to bond with him or her. When a child does report sexual abuse, parents or guardians should take them to be examined by a board-certified child abuse pediatrician or sexual assault nurse examiner.

Our attorneys may be able to recover damages if we can establish defendants’ liability for clergy abuse. Most people realize that the perpetrators of sexual abuse can be held accountable. However, supervisory clerics and the diocese itself may also be held responsible under a range of theories including negligence, negligent hiring, negligent supervision, and breach of fiduciary duty. In many cases, children have been harmed because those higher in the diocese’s hierarchy ignored complaints of sexual abuse or responded in improper ways, such as by moving a priest from one parish to another, or by allowing them to remain in charge of children’s religious education even though this would give them continued access and control over their victims.

If our lawyers can establish liability for clergy abuse in your case or your child’s case, we may be able to recover compensatory damages on your behalf. Compensatory damages may be both economic and noneconomic. Economic damages are tangible damages; often they are documented and quickly quantified. Typically, they offer reimbursement for services needed as a result of sexual abuse. Reimbursement could cover medical bills, mental health clinical service bills, inpatient services, surgical bills, pharmaceuticals, laboratory services, and other medical bills. In some cases, clergy sexual abuse can impact career and other aspects of a victim’s life. These losses may also be quantified and recovered.

Noneconomic damages can also be recovered after liability is established. These damages are meant to compensate for intangible losses such as pain and suffering, mental distress, emotional anguish, psychological trauma, loss of earning capacity insomnia, inability to form healthy romantic or sexual attachments, shame, humiliation, and loss of enjoyment of life.

In some cases, it may be appropriate to pursue punitive damages. These are damages awarded to punish and deter egregious misconduct or wrongdoing. For example, if a diocese shuffled a priest to various parishes multiple times after receiving multiple complaints of sexual abuse from children’s parents, a jury might award punitive damages.

If you or your child were sexually abused by clergy, call the seasoned Chicago-based clergy sexual abuse attorneys of Moll Law Group for a consultation about your legal options. Billions have been recovered in cases with which we’ve been involved nationwide. Please complete our online form or call us at 312.462.1700.