Diocese of Syracuse Announces Compensation Plan For Clergy Sexual Abuse Victims

| Feb 14, 2018 | Firm News

Sexual abuse attorney Adam Horowitz is handling claims on behalf of victims of clergy sexual abuse throughout New York.  If you or someone you know has been a victim of a sexual abuse by any priest or clergyman affiliated with the Diocese of Syracuse, please e-mail attorney Adam Horowitz at [email protected] or call our law firm at (954) 641-2100 to discuss your claim against the Diocese of Syracuse and learn if you are eligible for monetary compensation.   Attorney Adam Horowitz offers confidential, free evaluations of your sexual abuse claim involving priests and clergy of the Diocese of Syracuse

The Diocese of Syracuse has announced a program compensate victims of clergy sexual abuse by members of its clergy. Victims may be eligible for monetary compensation regardless of how many years ago they were abused. In exchange for a monetary settlement, the claimants would need to agree not to pursue a lawsuit against the Diocese of Syracuse.

The program’s initial scope will cover approximately 130 to 135 abuse cases involving victims whose claims are already known to the Diocese of Syracuse.  These victims will receive a letter from the Diocese alerting them of the compensation program.  It has not yet been announced whether additional claimants who have not previously reported their abuse will be included in the compensation plan.

Sexual abuse lawyer Adam Horowitz is already helping victims of sexual abuse by priests in the Syracuse through this claims process.  The Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse includes nearly two hundred fifty thousand Catholics residing in seven counties of Central and South Central New York State. The seven counties are Broome, Chenango, Cortland, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga and Oswego.

For decades, the Catholic Church has been plagued by the scandal of clergy sexual abuse by clergy.  An extraordinary number of people with improper sexual impulses seem to have made their way into the priesthood in the Catholic Church. Sadly, the Diocese of Syracuse in its history has been plagued by many of the same issues. We understand that victims of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy often are unable to report their abuse when it occurs. Typically, sexual abuse of a child occurs after a period of grooming so that the child feels guilty and responsible. Often, the child feels threatened, or fears that no one would believe them if they report the abuse because it involves an esteemed authority figure. Many children who have reported their abuse were called liars or punished by their own parents for speaking ill of a priest. The shame and fear often last long into adulthood. Fortunately, there is now a compensation plan to give victims of sexual abuse in the Diocese of Syracuse the strength to come forward and begin the healing process.

If you want to participate in the Diocese of Syracuse’s compensation program, our firm will assist you in retrieving and ultimately submitting the necessary papers and application for compensation. The may include parish records, medical/therapy records, educational records, law enforcement records and witness statements. If you file an application for compensation you are under no obligation to accept the financial offer of settlement by the Diocese of Syracuse.

It is important that your claim be properly prepared by an experienced attorney before being evaluated by the Administrators of the Compensation Program. For example, medical records and educational records should be collected and reviewed, oral and written communications concerning the clergy sexual abuse should be examined, and law enforcement records should be obtained. You want to make sure that the facts you submit to the Diocese are accurate and complete. The Administrators must find that the facts and circumstances of the claim of clergy sexual abuse demonstrate that the allegations are credible and that the clergy sexual abuse victim provides sufficient grounds to justify the payment of compensation.