Media Statements

Approximately 400 claims have been made against the Archdiocese of New Orleans by survivors of sexual abuse seeking redress and justice through the Archdiocese’s bankruptcy process. We believe that this is but a small picture of the true scope of clergy abuse and cover-up within New Orleans. This bankruptcy case not only demonstrates a clear need for today's survivors to have other opportunities for prevention and justice through statutes of limitations reform but also points to the need to prevent bankruptcy laws from being used to hide clergy sex crimes and evade reparations to victims.

It was recently was revealed that Cardinal George Pell will speak at the commencement of Ave Maria University in Florida later this year. Apparently, he will also receive an honorary degree from the school.

Months after a bureaucratic SNAFU upended SOL reforms aimed at preventing future cases of child sexual abuse and providing justice and healing to survivors in Pennsylvania, an emergency constitutional amendment is set to be proposed again in Pennsylvania.

Yet another Catholic staffer has been arrested in New Orleans on charges of child sexual abuse. We applaud the investigators for believing the victim and filing these charges and we hope that this news will encourage others who were hurt in New Orleans to come forward, find help, and start healing.

In a move that is outrageous to survivors of clergy abuse and current Catholics alike, Church officials in Washington D.C. have seen fit to give millions of dollars to a prelate who enabled and covered-up cases of sexual abuse. It seems to us that Catholics in the Archdiocese of Washington D.C. should stop donating to the archdiocese if they are going to waste millions on a disgraced cleric instead of using those funds to improve the safety and conditions of parishes within their borders.

Catholic officials in San Bernardino have quietly added another abuser to their list of accused clergy, apparently without notifying the public. We call on diocesan leaders to use all of the resources at their disposal to share this information and encourage other survivors to come forward and get help.

A committee investigating sexual abuse and cover-up committed by Catholic clergy in France speculated that as many as 10,000 children and vulnerable adults may have been abused by priests since 1950, a staggering number that shows the clear need for immediate reform within the French Church.

Yet another victim has come forward to allege that he was the victim of inappropriate sexual contact at the hands of a popular Chicago priest. We hope that this latest accusation will cause parishioners at the cleric’s church to stop their intimidation campaign against the survivors who have come forward and to refrain from trying to influence or expedite the investigation into the alleged abuse.

A bi-partisan proposal in the Iowa State Legislature to eliminate both the civil and criminal statutes of limitations and establish a “look back" window” is now with the Senate Judiciary Committee. However, although SSB 1017 was slated for consideration by the Committee last week, it was pulled from the agenda at the last minute. We believe that anyone who is informed about the realities of child sexual abuse (CSA) and how the trauma often prevents the victims from coming forward would be in favor of the passage of this important bill.

A bi-partisan proposal in the Iowa State Legislature to eliminate both the civil and criminal statutes of limitations and establish a “look back" window” is now with the Senate Judiciary Committee. However, although SSB 1017 was slated for consideration by the Committee last week, it was pulled from the agenda at the last minute. We believe that anyone who is informed about the realities of child sexual abuse (CSA) and how the trauma often prevents the victims from coming forward would be in favor of the passage of this important bill.