9 Victims File Lawsuits Against 5 Priests in Clergy Abuse Case

(Archbishop Charles J. Chaput sued for sexual abuse)

9 Victims File Lawsuits Against 5 Priests in Clergy Abuse Case

There are nine alleged victims of clergy abuse who have filed civil lawsuits against:

• the Archdiocese of Philadelphia
• Archbishop Charles J. Chaput
• Cardinal Justin Rigali
• the Rev. Msgr. William Lynn and seven priests and former priests, including five with ties to Delaware County.

(Cardinal Justin Rigal sued for sexual abuse)

The attorneys for the plaintiffs made this statement:

“Bringing these cases is important because until there is accountability it is difficult to begin a journey of healing,” said Anderson, who is also representing victims of former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky. “With the filing of these cases today, these courageous survivors can start to heal.”

Let's name  the defendants in the eight lawsuits:

• Edward Avery, a former assistant pastor at St. Bernadette Church in the Drexel Hill section of Upper Darby and the former Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Chester
• John H. Mulholland, former assistant pastor at St. Anastasia Church in Newtown Square and Blessed Virgin Mary in Darby
• the Rev. John P. Schmeer, former assistant pastor at Sacred Heart Church in Haverford
• the Rev. Robert L. Brennan, former assistant pastor at St. Pius X Church in Marple Township and St. George Church in Glenolden
• Francis X. Trauger, former assistant pastor at Holy Cross Church in Springfield and parochial vicar of St. Joseph Church in Aston
• the Rev. Msgr. Francis Feret of St.Timothy's School in Philadelphia
• and the Rev. Joseph J Gallagher of Ascension of our Lord Church in Philadelphia.

(Rev. Monsignor Lynn sued for sexual abuse)

According to the Delco Times, here's the downfall of all perpetrators:

Avery, Mulholland and Trauger have been defrocked; Brennan has been out of ministry since January 2006; Feret was found unsuitable for ministry in May 2012; Gallagher was placed on administrative leave following the 2011 grand jury report on sexual abuse by Philadelphia priests; Schmeer’s ministry has been permanently restricted since November 2004; A former Haverford resident, who was removed from active ministry in 2003 Avery pleaded guilty in March to abusing an altar boy in 1999 and is serving a two-and-a-half to five year prison sentence.

The claims in the lawsuit state all the other defendants "ignored abuse reports" about Avery for more than 10 years and failed to reveal he was among 35 priests identified by the Archdiocese in 1994 as being "guilty of sexual misconduct with minors.”

Read more of the report HERE

Posted in: Archdiocese of Philadelphia,catholic church sex scandals,church scandal,priest sued by victims,sexual abuse in church