A startling fact jumps out when you review the list of priests credibly accused of child sexual abuse in the Diocese of Camden New Jersey: Many of them are still alive.
So one or more of them could have raped a girl yesterday, groped a boy last night or is grooming an unsuspecting family full of kids right now.
The only silver lining here is that since they’re alive, they might still be prosecuted, convicted, jailed and kept away from kids.
This is one reason why you should come forward now if you saw, suspected or suffered ANY wrongdoing by ANY current or former Camden area clerics.
There are actually LOTS of reasons to come forward now. But here’s one you may not be aware of: victims of Camden clergy face an impending deadline.
On June 30, 2021 the Camden diocesan bankruptcy window closes. If you come forward before then, you may receive compensation for your pain AND you will likely be able to get your perpetrator publicly named, which helps to protect the vulnerable and heal the wounded.
If you come forward AFTER that date, your legal options will be far more limited if not eliminated.
And here are two facts about filing an abuse claim that many don’t understand.
First, you can file a claim without your identity being made public.
Second, even after stepping forward, you can withdraw your claim without penalty or explanation any time you want.
Now, back to the Camden accused list. Two other parts of it are noteworthy.
–It shows the same sad patterns of dangerous men being shuffled by church officials to other countries (Vietnam), far-away states (Alaska and California), islands (Puerto Rico), and to chaplaincies at prisons and hospitals.
Consider Fr. Charles J. Davis, who has been sent all across the US, to FL, AL, AK, MD, PA, CA, NY and GA.
–Apparently, if we are to believe Camden church officials, over the past two years, not a single credible child sex abuse report was made against a single Camden New Jersey priest, nun, seminarian, brother, monk or bishop.
We know this because, as best we can tell, there’s been no update to the list since February 2019.
(Here’s a little-known fact about the Camden diocese. It was the first in the United State to face a RICO case and the first in the US in which a priest, Fr. Gary Hayes, sued his own bishop over abuse that Fr. Hayes suffered at the hands of two Camden clerics. https://www.bishop-accountability.org/news3/1993_06_10_Walsh_ThreeCharge_Joseph_McGarvey_3.htm
Horowitz Law represents victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Diocese of Camden in New Jersey. If you need a lawyer because you experienced sexual abuse in the Diocese of Camden by a priest or other employee, contact our office today. The Camden Diocese filed for federal bankruptcy protection. The Court will resolve all claims of sexual abuse in this process but strict filing deadlines apply and no late claims will be considered, so contact us today. Our lawyers have decades of experience representing survivors of clergy sexual abuse in New Jersey and nationwide. We can help.