Clergy sexual abuse survivors carry the impacts of their abuse for life, while their abusers are often never fully held accountable for their actions.

Our team works with the victims of clergy abuse in Scottsdale, Arizona, to seek justice from the Catholic church and other religious organizations that perpetuate abuse through negligence and cover-ups.

Whether you suffered from child sexual abuse or you were abused as an adult, Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers are ready to hear your story and work with you for justice through a civil lawsuit.

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Why Choose Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers

At Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, we are committed to securing justice and compensation for victims of clergy abuse in Scottsdale. Our experienced legal team has a proven track record of handling clergy abuse cases with sensitivity and achieving significant settlements and verdicts.

$14.2 Million Priest grooming and handling	$4.1 Million Deacon assault and rape	$3 Million Clergy child abuse filed in adulthood
$2.5 Million Volunteer-perpetrated Catholic church abuse	$2.3 Million Religious school priest teen sexual abuse	$1.5 Million Clergy abuse case filed against a deceased priest

Our Scottsdale clergy abuse lawyers meticulously investigate every detail of your case to ensure all aspects of the abuse, including emotional trauma and other damages, are fully addressed. Our deep expertise in Arizona clergy abuse law enables us to navigate these complex cases effectively and fight tirelessly to protect your rights.

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Understanding Clergy Sexual Abuse

Clergy sexual abuse refers to sexual activities committed by a member of the clergy against another person, usually someone who is part of their congregation. Clergy abuse happens to both children and adults, often taking place over a long period rather than as a one-time incident.

Prevalence of Clergy Sex Abuse in Scottsdale

Clergy abuse statistics in Scottsdale are usually related to priests from the three major Dioceses in Arizona: Phoenix, Tucson, and Gallup Dioceses. Here are the numbers we know from these areas:

The Diocese of Gallup lists 34 credibly accused priests who have served in their area [1].
There are 42 accused priests from the Diocese of Tucson [2].
The Diocese of Phoenix lists 18 accused priests and deacons as well as 28 priests from religious communities [3], [4].

The number of abusive clergy members may be higher because of a lack of reporting.

Notable Clergy Sexual Abuse Cases

Priests who are accused of sexual abuse with credible accusations are named by their Diocese, local news agencies, and other credible sources. Here are three examples of notable accused clergy members:

Lious Ladenburger: Convicted of sexual abuse of minors in both Arizona and Idaho [5].
Paul Lebrun: Convicted of multiple counts of child molestation. Incarcerated since 2003 [6].
Bede McKinnon: Accused of abuse in 2010. Currently deceased.

Many priests serving in and near Scottsdale, Arizona, have been accused of abuse. Previous cases help build evidence if you’ve experienced abuse from a named person.

Common Forms of Clergy Abuse

These are the most common types of abuse that have taken place in the Catholic Church and other religious institutions:

Inappropriate touching: Any touching of genital areas, over or under clothing. It also includes uncomfortable hugging, kissing, cuddling, or other inappropriate touches.
Removing clothes: Making victims remove their clothes or the clergy member removing clothes around the victims.
Sexualizing conversations: Asking inappropriate questions, making sexual statements, dirty talk, flirtatious talk, and other intentional sexualization of conversations.
Showing pornography: Watching pornographic materials together, showing pornography, providing access to pornography, or any other use of pornographic materials with a minor.
Performing sexual acts without consent: Any type of sexual act, whether performed alone around a victim, done to or with a victim, or having the victim do the act to the abuser. Any sexual action with a minor is always considered child sex abuse.

Taking sexual pictures or videos: Forcing victims to take sexual images or videos, either alone or with the abuser.
Victims often experience multiple forms of abuse over an extended period.

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The Profile of Clergy Sexual Abuse Victims

Victims who are most often sexually abused by clergy are boys aged 11-17. Abuse may begin at this age and continue for years. Adult women are the second most likely to be targeted by abusive priests.

Those who experience sexual abuse often exhibit signs of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or shame, as well as a distrust for authority figures and doubt surrounding core beliefs.

Common Signs of Clergy Abuse Among Child Victims

Because children are the most likely targets of clergy abuse, it’s important to recognize the signs of child sex abuse. These are the most common physical and behavioral signs of abuse to look out for [7].

Physical signs:

Dirty, damaged, or bloody undergarments
Discomfort around the genital area, such as pain, itching, or burning
Blood, bruising, or swelling around the genitals
Pain walking or sitting down
Higher frequency of UTIs or yeast infections

Behavioral signs:

Depression
Poor performance at school, with school work, attendance, or both
PTSD
Bedwetting or regular nightmares
Suicidal thoughts
Becoming overly protective of younger siblings
Regressing to previous childhood behaviors, such as sucking a thumb
Developing new phobias
Shrinking from physical contact, even by loved ones
Running away from school or home
Self-harm
Showering excessively or refusing to shower

These signs do not always indicate sexual abuse, but if you find these signs in your child, you may want to investigate the possibility.

Eligibility to File a Clergy Sexual Abuse Claim

After sexual abuse occurs, victims can file a civil lawsuit to seek compensation. Someone with a direct interest in the case must file the lawsuit. This includes:

Child sex abuse victims
Parents of child victims
Adults who were sexually assaulted
Adult survivors who were assaulted when they were children

Liability in Clergy Abuse Cases

Two types of liability usually apply in clergy assault cases.

First is the individual liability of the assaulter. Clergy assaulters are directly liable for their actions and the sexual violence they inflict on victims. Civil lawsuits can be filed against abusive clergy members.

In Scottsdale and Arizona statewide, the religious institution a clergy member works for can also be held liable through institutional liability, also known as vicarious liability.

These legal theories allow organizations to be held liable for the abusive actions of a clergy member under their supervision if there’s any action taken to cover up abuse or inaction when abuse is made known.

Examples of these circumstances can be seen from investigations of the Catholic church.

The local Dioceses were held liable when clergymen were moved to a new parish after allegations of sexual assault when they were hired despite having a record of abuse, when abuse allegations were not reported, or when they were not supervised appropriately and were able to commit abuse in their roles.

There must be a connection between the clergy assaulter and some failure of the religious organization to hold the institution liable. It’s often easier to show the connection when there are previous records of abuse within the same institution or repeat offenses from the same clergy member.

Consult a clergy abuse lawyer

The Statute of Limitations for Filing a Lawsuit in Scottsdale, AZ

Victims of sexual assault must file a civil suit against the perpetrators within the statute of limitations. In Scottsdale, victims who were assaulted as adults must file within two years of the abuse, but children who are assaulted have until their 30th birthday to file. The statute of limitations for sexual abuse was modified in 2020.

Types of Cases Handled by Our Scottsdale Clergy Sexual Abuse Lawyers

At Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, we help sexual abuse survivors go through the legal process to seek compensation from their abusers. Our team handles civil lawsuits against Catholic church priests, pastors, teachers, and clergy members from any religious institution.

Abuse happens in all types of congregations. No matter which religious organization created the circumstances for your sexual abuse, we’ll help you seek justice and get the compensation you deserve for what you endured at the hands of abusive clergy members.

Our experienced team can take on cases against any religious institution operating in Scottsdale, Arizona, including the Diocese of Phoenix or Tucson.

Steps to Take if You Are a Victim

If you’ve been a victim of sexual abuse, you first need to ensure you get to a safe place away from your abuser. When you’re physically safe, start working towards documenting the abuse that’s happened to you.

Documenting abuse can help you win your case and receive compensation. Although it’s difficult to think about it, any evidence you can save will be helpful in the future.

Write down details of what happened and when it happened, save or screenshot any electronic communications, and go to a doctor who can help you record medical evidence of abuse.

Speak with reliable legal counsel as soon as possible to get advice on how to build your case. We’ll work with you to prepare for the legal process and take the proper steps to achieve the best result.

Seek support from a local organization in Scottsdale, Arizona. You can reach out to the national sexual abuse hotline at 800-656-HOPE (4673) or contact another local organization like the AZ Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence or La Frontera EMPACT SPC.

These groups can be instrumental in providing emotional and physical support and advice on how to move forward.

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How Our Scottsdale Clergy Sexual Abuse Lawyers Can Help

At Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, we work with sexual abuse survivors to take control of their case against their abuser and get justice. The first step is always going through a consultation so we can understand your circumstances and plan a course forward with you.

After the consultation, we’ll work tirelessly to investigate your case and collect all the evidence to support your claims. Once everything is together, we’ll file the civil lawsuit and represent you against your abusers.

Most lawsuits are settled out of court. Both parties negotiate and agree on the settlement. However, if it goes to court, we will be your representatives fighting for a positive outcome at the trial.

The Cost of Hiring Our Scottsdale Clergy Sexual Abuse Attorneys

Our firm works on a contingency fee basis. This means you won’t pay anything out of pocket to work with us. We only get paid if we help you win. If a settlement is reached or payment is awarded through the courts, we are paid a percentage, with the majority going straight into your pocket.

You won’t have to pay a thing out of pocket to work with our experienced team of abuse lawyers. A win for you is also a win for us.

Compensation for Clergy Sexual Abuse Victims

Clergy sexual abuse survivors who win a settlement or a court-ordered payment can receive various types of compensation from abusers. You can be compensated for medical expenses, psychological care, emotional distress, lost wages, and sometimes punitive damages.

Depending on your age, when you were abused, the extent of the assault, and the circumstances that allowed the abuse to continue, compensation can vary. Even though nothing can repay the pain and suffering from abuse, we’ll work hard on your behalf to get the most compensation possible.

Contact Our Scottsdale Clergy Abuse Attorneys Today!

Work with Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers to start the legal process of seeking justice and compensation from your abusers. Our team will walk with you step by step, helping you build your case from scratch and taking you through to settlement. We’re ready to work with you to help you find peace and resolution regarding your sexual abuse case.

Call us at (888) 424-5757 or fill in our contact form.

Related Practice Areas

Resources: [1] Diocese of Gallup; [2] Diocese of Tucson; [3] Diocese of Phoenix; [4] Diocese of Phoenix; [5] AZ Central; [6] Arizona Daily Sun; [7] RAINN

All content undergoes thorough legal review by experienced attorneys, including Jonathan Rosenfeld. With 25 years of experience in personal injury law and over 100 years of combined legal expertise within our team, we ensure that every article is legally accurate, compliant, and reflects current legal standards.