MISSOURI CLERGY SEXUAL ABUSE LAWSUITS

Representing Child & Adult Clergy Abuse Lawsuits in Missouri

If you or someone you love were sexually abused by a member of the Catholic clergy in Missouri, you may be entitled to compensation.

Sweeping investigations and court records confirm that widespread sexual abuse committed by priests and church members persisted for decades in all four Roman Catholic dioceses in Missouri, and that church leadership enabled predator priests by failing to investigate and report abuse.

As Missouri lawmakers are now considering groundbreaking legislation to extend the statute of limitations in child sex abuse lawsuits and provide victims with new opportunities to seek justice, Levy Konigsberg is helping survivors across the state explore their options for taking legal action against the Catholic church.

Missouri AG Report Details Dark Legacy of Sexual Abuse in Missouri Catholic Dioceses

Thanks to sweeping investigations, court filings, and high-profile settlements, we know that child sexual abuse has been a rampant and pervasive problem within Missouri Catholic churches for decades. We also know that leadership within Missouri’s Roman Catholic dioceses overwhelmingly failed to protect victims by engaging in cover-ups that allowed priests to abuse children without consequence.

Some of the most important findings about the scope of sexual abuse within Missouri Catholic churches came from a 2019 report from the Missouri Attorney General. Regarded as the largest-ever independent review of Missouri church personnel records, the Missouri AG report revealed an alarming pattern of abuse and a systemic church-enabled cover-up dating back more than six decades.

Here are some key findings from the report:

• Investigators found substantial evidence that at least 163 Catholic priests and clergy members abused minors in Missouri churches dating back to 1945.
• Allegations of sexual abuse by clergy were documented in all four of Missouri’s Roman Catholic dioceses, which include the Diocese of Jefferson City, the Diocese of Kansas City-Saint Joseph, the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau, and the Archdiocese of St. Louis.
• Investigators found that for decades, church officials inexcusably chose to protect priests and the church’s reputation rather than properly investigate allegations and protect victims.
• In its efforts to cover up abuse, church leadership would often locate accused priests into new parishes and church positions. Church officials also worked aggressively to defend some abusers, including one priest who was convicted and sentenced to prison.

While the findings are alarming, investigators note that the 163 clergy members in the report include only those identified in church personnel records as having allegations lodged against them. Given the church’s M.O. for concealing allegations, covering-up complaints, and silencing survivors, experts believe the number of predator priests and victims is far higher.

Record Releases, Court Filings Provide Further Insight into Scope of MO Clergy Sex Abuse

In addition to the Missouri AG’s report, numerous court filings and record releases from some dioceses have provided further details about the scope of clergy sex abuse in Missouri and the church’s cover-up efforts. For example:

• In November 2023, the diocese received a report on April 15, 2022, through the diocese’s abuse hotline alleging sexual solicitation of an adult on the occasion of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The church termed the act a “sacrilege” and a “grave form of abuse.” Missouri Catholic Priest, Father Ignazio Medina has been found guilty by the church of soliciting sex from an adult during confession. As a result, Father Medina is now prohibited from holding office in the church, hearing confessions, and publicly celebrating or leading Mass without explicit permission from his diocesan bishop. Medina was found guilty by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith in Rome on Nov. 27, 2023, and did not appeal the decision.
• In June 2023, the St. Louis Archdiocese agreed to pay $1 million to settle a lawsuit filed by a man who was sexually abused as a minor by a priest from the Ascension Catholic Church in Chesterfield. The man said he was abused at least four times between 1993 and 1995 by Gary Wolken, who was sentenced to prison in 2003 for abusing another boy between 1997 and 2000.
• In July 2019, the Archdiocese of St. Louis released a list naming 64 clergy members with substantial allegations of child sexual abuse. The list included 61 clergy members accused of sex abuse and three accused of child pornography.
• In November 2018, the Archdiocese of St. Louis settled 18 of 21 civil lawsuits filed by adults who were abused as minors for a total of more than $2 million. The cases involved claims of abuse committed by Fathers Michael McGrath, Romano Ferraro, Robert Yim, Bryan Kuchar, Alexander Anderson, and Sister Judith Fischer.

Do I Have A Case?

You may have a sexual abuse claim against the Catholic Church if:

• You were sexually abused as a minor or an adult within the Church.
• The abuser was a priest, clergy member, or some other Church volunteer or employee.
• Your abuse occurred at any time in the past.

As with civil sexual abuse cases, claims filed with the bankruptcy settlement fund are separate from any criminal proceedings that may arise from abuse. Instead, they focus on holding the Archdiocese liable for damages. This means you may still have a claim even if:

• Your abuser is no longer alive.
• Your abuser was never charged or convicted of a crime.

Determining whether you have grounds to pursue a claim can be challenging, which is why our team at Levy Konigsberg is readily available to help.

Recoverable Damages in Sexual Abuse Claims

In addition to providing accountability and a sense of justice, civil sex abuse lawsuits allow survivors to recover financial compensation for their damages, which may include:

• Past medical and mental health expenses
• Future mental health expenses, including therapy, medications, etc.
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional anguish and psychological harm
• Lost income
• Other economic and non-economic damages

Missouri Sexual Abuse Attorneys

In Missouri, survivors of childhood sexual abuse have a limited amount of time to pursue civil lawsuits and damages. This statute of limitations varies depending on whether lawsuits are brought against abusers or institutions.

The statute of limitations for claims brought against abusers is:

• Within 10 years from the date a survivor turns 21; or
• Within three years from the date a survivor discovers injuries caused by their childhood sexual abuse (i.e. depression, addiction, incarceration, etc.).

Survivors have even less time to file claims against institutions that failed to protect them from abuse. Filing claims against responsible entities is nearly always preferable because institutional defendants have the financial means and insurance to fairly compensate victims.

In claims brought against entities, survivors must bring their suits:

• Before the age of 26; or
• Within three years from the date they discover the connection between their abuse and resulting damages.

However, as in other states, Missouri has seen growing momentum to change the statute of limitations in civil sexual abuse cases. That’s because research resoundingly agrees that survivors of sexual abuse often take decades to process their abuse and its impact on their lives. According to Child USA, a nonprofit think tank, the average age that victims report childhood sexual abuse is 52.

Recognizing the challenges survivors face in processing abuse, and how short statutes of limitations function as a barrier to justice more often than not, Missouri lawmakers have proposed a measure to give survivors greater opportunities to seek justice.

If passed, the pending law would:

• Extend the civil statute of limitations for child victims to age 55.
• Create a temporary two-year window for child sexual abuse survivors to file claims over abuse that occurred at any time in the past.