The Archdiocese of Philadelphia has set aside at least 25 million dollars to compensate clergy abuse victims and has begun mailing claims packets to 340 people who have previously reported abuse to the Archdiocese. If you receive a packet from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia alerting you of the claims process, please contact our office to discuss your legal options. If you choose to accept a settlement offer from the compensation fund, you would be giving up a valuable right to sue the Archdiocese if lawmakers in Pennsylvania ever lift the statute of limitations. This is a decision that should only be made in consultation with a lawyer.
Beginning in 2019, the Archdiocese will also allow abuse victims who have not previously reported their abuse to the Archdiocese to submit claims as well. The Archdiocese’s fund for reparations to victims mirrors similar funds in New York state and comes on the heels of a scathing Grand Jury reported that identified approximately 300 Pennsylvania priests who sexually abuse over one thousand children over a period of decades. The Archdiocese of Philadelphia as well as the Diocese of Pittsburgh Scranton, Allentown, Erie, Harrisburg, Greensburg have all announced compensation plans. The Philadelphia Archdiocese, which includes the city and Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties, was the first to announce details concerning its compensation plan. The Archdiocese of Philadelphia is requiring those who want to apply to the compensation fund to register by the end of July 2019 and file by the end of September. A typical claim to the compensation fund will include supporting materials ranging from parish records, confirmation records,w school records, photographs, and/or medical and counseling records and witness statement. Our lawyers and investigators work on behalf of clients to gather witness statement and other evidence to assist in the verification of the claim.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims of sexual abuse by Diocesan priests in Pennsylvania. We have already begun hearing from numerous claimants throughout Pennsylvania. If you or someone you know was the victim of sexual abuse by a priest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, please contact Adam Horowitz via e-mail at [email protected] or call 954-641-2100.