ST. LOUIS – The Archdiocese of St. Louis is facing a lawsuit filed Wednesday by 25 individuals blaming the church for enabling, covering up, and concealing children being sexually abused by employees for decades, according to court documents.
The lawsuit lists at least 30 clergy members under the archdiocese and archbishop that were known to be accused of sexual misconduct, but only released some names.
Our partners at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that there will be an additional 35 plaintiffs to join the suit, but they have not filed as of Wednesday night.
It is said that in September 2018, the church had promised to publicize the names of clergy members who had claims of sexual abuse against them but did not release the names until nearly a year later, in July 2019. There were 66 names released on the list.
It is stated in documents that, “the Archdiocese and Archbishop did not act in any manner to
protect the young children of its parishes, churches, community, and other organizations within its ambit…instead of removing the Abusers from their employ and control and reporting the abuse to authorities as required by law, Defendants enabled and emboldened Abusers to continue perpetrating horrific conduct upon Plaintiffs by giving Defendants’ employees, agents, and servants unfettered access to Plaintiffs and other children.”
According to the court records, those accused of sexual abuse were reassigned to other organizations or parishes, received treatment for a short period of time, or did not have any consequences.
In notes regarding each plaintiff’s experiences with the employees, ages ranged into mid-teens, with the youngest being six years old.
The suit states that the church was “silencing the children abused by threatening them, making them live in secret shame, fear and degradation while then ministering to them psychologically, emotionally and spiritually.”
A news conference is scheduled for Thursday at 11:15 a.m.
