How PA’s Scathing Clergy Abuse Report Affects New Jersey

Earlier this week, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro had dropped a more than 1,000-page report, detailing decades of abuse in the Catholic churches across the Keystone State. The report, a cumulation of a two-year grand jury investigation, details horrific abuses against more than 1,000 children in six of the eight Pennsylvania dioceses. It also detailed the church’s attempts to cover up the abuse and failing to report the accused clergy to police, even going so far as discouraging victims from going to law enforcement.

Of the 300-plus predatory priests named in the report, four New Jersey priests were identified in the grand jury report:

• The Rev. John P. Conor, who was arrested in New Jersey in 1984 for sexually molesting a 14-year-old
• The Rev. Augustine Giella, who arrested at his retirement home in Manchester, N.J. on charges of child molestation and child pornography
• The Rev. James Hopkins, who received a 10-year prison sentence after molesting an altar boy in Camden County in 1995
• The Rev. A. Gregory Uhrig, who was removed from St. Luke Roman Catholic Parish in North Plainfield in 2010 after sexual abuse allegations were made against him

Clergy Abuse In New Jersey: What You Need to Know

New Jersey has had its own clergy abuse scandal in recent years. In June, Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, the former Archbishop of Newark, was removed from public ministry after he was accused of abusing a teenage boy more than 50 years ago while he was a priest in New York. It was soon revealed that he had previously been accused of sexual misconduct with three adults. He resigned soon after the scandals were announced.

Since McCarrick’s resignation, Cardinal Joseph Tobin had ordered a reexamination of sexual abuse cases against the church. A spokesman for the Archdiocese of Newark stated that once the investigation is complete, a protocol will be put in place for how to release the names.

New Jersey Sexual Abuse Laws

In the case of institutional sexual abuse, there are legal remedies available. Not only will you have a case against the predator, but you will have a claim against the organization — especially if the organization had tried to cover up the abuse. Not only is this a criminal case, but you can also bring a civil lawsuit against these two parties.

The hardest part of sexual abuse cases is proving liability. This is a shameful and embarrassing time, one that you have tried to get over. It can bring up an array of emotions that were long buried. But by bringing your allegations to light, you may prevent sexual abuse from happening in the future.

If you do bring a suit against the church, you may receive both economic damages — such as therapy bills and other medical expenses — and punitive damages like pain and suffering and loss of enjoyment.

How Our Personal Injury Lawyer Can Help

If you were a survivor of sexual abuse by either a clergyman, a teacher, a neighbor, or even a family member, Attorney Anthony Carbone is ready to pursue your case. He will fight on your behalf in the courtroom and make sure this never happens again.

Contact the Law Offices of Anthony Carbone today for a free consultation. We’re ready to help you.