Abusive priests have been using their positions of power for decades to sexually abuse child victims, and survivors are now demanding action from law enforcement against the Catholic dioceses that protected the accused priests.

Many survivors have focused credible allegations against accused priests, clergy members, and dioceses that covered up abuse allegations.

Michigan Catholic Priest Clergy Abuse Victims File Claims

There have been several recent instances of abuse allegations against Michigan priests, including an 18-year-old who made his injuries known against the Archdiocese of Detroit in March 2021.

The man claims he was sexually abused by a Catholic priest when he was eight years old and named the archdiocese, Bishop Kelley Catholic School, Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Parish, and Archbishop Allen Vigneron as parties to the abuse.

These parties allowed the abuse to happen by giving the priest access to young children, and they attempted to protect the abusive priest from legal consequences.

The Archdiocese of Detroit Admits to Michigan Catholic Priest Clergy Abuse

The Archdiocese of Detroit promises to listen to victims of clergy sexual abuse, take action on the information they provide, and do everything they can to make up for the wrongs of the past. 

To keep their promise, the Archdiocese first publicly posted the names of archdiocesan clergy who were credibly accused of sexually abusing minors or vulnerable persons in 2002.

Since then, they have added the names of priests who were credibly accused after their death.

The Archdiocese considers a complaint to be credible if it has a "semblance of truth," meaning it appears to be true or could possibly be true. 

Extending the Statute of Limitations for Michigan Catholic Priest Clergy Abuse Victims

The statute of limitations for victims in Michigan is ranked as one of the worst in the country for Michigan Catholic priest clergy abuse victims.

2016 legislation extended the statute of limitations for sexual assault in Michigan by 10 years—previously for first-degree offenses, there was no time limit on when a crime can be prosecuted.

However, a new bipartisan legislative package follows several sexual abuse scandals at a few Michigan universities in recent years and has been introduced in Michigan that would allow sexual abuse survivors more time to report crimes until they turn age 52.

The legislation would give survivors more time to come forward and offer them more tools to navigate the criminal justice system.

The bills would help hold institutions accountable and require that survivors are informed of their right to access advocates, counselors, and other supports as they navigate through the reporting process.

We believe Michigan catholic priest clergy abuse victims and their families deserve justice and potential compensation.