If you or a loved one is a survivor of childhood sexual abuse that occurred at St. Ursula School in Baltimore, a clergy sexual abuse attorney at Jenner Law could fight for you. We will pursue the justice you deserve from those who caused harm and those who allowed the abuse to continue by covering up the abuse.
The legal process can be challenging, but our personal injury lawyers take on credibly accused individuals and the system that allowed this conduct. We can seek transparency and accountability for the abuse that can affect survivors for the rest of their lives.
What Our St. Ursula School Childhood Sexual Abuse Clients Can Expect from Us
People who experience sexual exploitation during childhood often report that the abuse betrayed their trust, especially in the individuals who covered it up or otherwise allowed it to occur.
We understand how hard it may be now to trust that someone has your best interests in mind. To help alleviate your concerns, we will let you know what you can expect from Jenner Law when we handle your St. Ursula School childhood sexual abuse case.
We pledge to do the following for the clients we represent in these cases:
- You will not have to pay any upfront legal fees for our help. We handle clergy sexual abuse cases on a contingency-fee basis instead, waiting until the end of the matter, when we receive a percentage of the settlement or court award. If you do not recover a settlement or court award, you do not owe us any attorney’s fees.
- We do not risk your well-being or privacy by requiring you to become more active in the legal process than you want. We safeguard your right to set boundaries and decide on the boundaries of your comfort zone.
- We take great care to treat you with respect and compassion.
- We have extensive experience in handling clergy sexual abuse cases. Our clients receive the benefit of our experience and reputation in these challenging cases.
- Your case is unique, so we personalize your legal strategy just for you. We know how much your case can impact your life.
We talk to our clients about the goals they seek to accomplish in their cases. Victory for one client might look quite different than victory for another client, but they are all valuable and meaningful. We will do everything we can to bring about a favorable outcome.
Maryland Law Allows Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse at St. Ursula to Pursue Damages
In April 2023, Maryland’s governor signed The Child Victims Act of 2023 into law, ending all statutes of limitations deadlines that blocked would-be plaintiffs from bringing forward cases for incidents that happened long ago. Now, childhood sexual abuse survivors can sue anyone who had a role in the abuse they endured. This includes institutions that failed to hold abusers accountable and allowed it to continue.
Damages vary according to the details and circumstances of each survivor’s case. However, general damage caps apply.
- Survivors who sue a government agency can claim up to $890,000 in damages.
- Survivors who sue a private institution could recover unlimited economic damages, such as medical expenses, therapy costs, and lost income. However, non-economic damages, like emotional distress, anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress, are capped at $1.5 million.
Recoverable Damages in Clergy Sexual Abuse Cases Against the Baltimore Archdiocese
For many survivors of childhood abuse in Maryland, their primary concern is to have their abusers come out from the shadows and face the consequences of their actions. They might also want to hold accountable those who shielded the abusers and allowed the sexual misconduct to continue.
Some of the criminal cases have achieved goals like these, but the criminal courts do not award financial compensation to the survivors like the civil courts can.
If you are a survivor of childhood sexual abuse at St. Ursula School in the Archdiocese of Baltimore, the civil courts might award you monetary damages for the losses you suffered because of the abuse. These damages could include:
- Health care expenses
- Mental health treatment
- Ongoing rehabilitation expenses
- Compensation for intangible losses like pain and suffering
Jenner Law could help you pursue legal action to hold the abusers and their enablers responsible for their actions.
Our Approach to Childhood Sexual Abuse Cases Involving St. Ursula School
Our legal process starts with an in-depth investigation of the individual abusers and the church hierarchy who covered up the sexual abuse of the children at St. Ursula School. If the Catholic Church had protected the minors in their care, they would have removed the offending priests from parishioners and reported them to the police for their crimes. Their failure to do so allowed the sexual abuse to continue.
After we identify the potential defendants, we can take measures such as:
- Working with experts who can testify about the abuse the client suffered and how it affects the survivor’s life. These experts, who can include mental health professionals and other healthcare experts, help quantify the extent of the client’s losses and damages.
- Going after the defendants on the client’s behalf and demand payment for the sexual abuse and coverup. We can take the case to trial if we do not reach a settlement with the defendants.
Each of these steps will, out of necessity, involve additional work on our part. We tailor our approach to the unique needs and circumstances of each case that we handle.
Investigating Childhood Sexual Abuse Allegations at St. Ursula School in the Baltimore Area
The Maryland Office of the Attorney General responded to years of reported sexual misconduct by priests by investigating the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Its 463-page report, titled the Attorney General’s Report on Child Sexual Abuse in the Archdiocese of Baltimore, contains the findings of that investigation. The investigation found that more than 600 children have suffered abuse over several decades.
In the Attorney General’s report, they name five accused abusers from St. Ursula:
- Father Regis Larkin, Assistant Pastor, 1964-85
- Father Francis LeFevre, Vocation Office and residing at St. Ursula, 1978
The Archdiocese of Baltimore acknowledged many of these sexual abuse allegations in its List of Priests and Brothers Accused of Child Sexual Abuse.
How the Catholic Church Covered Up Childhood Sexual Abuse at St. Ursula School
The report revealed that the abuse was allowed to continue because of the coverup by the church hierarchy. If priests who committed sexual abuse were turned in to law enforcement promptly, the outcome would be different.
Instead of responding appropriately to the widespread problem of clergy sexual abuse, church authorities merely shuffled priests around from one parish to another without warning the new parish or taking measures to protect children from abuse. At the heart of the response was the mindset of the church that the sexual abuse of children by clergy was a mental illness, not a crime.
Our Attorneys Can Seek Damages in a Childhood Sexual Abuse Case Involving Baltimore’s St. Ursula School
We offer a no-cost initial consultation, so please feel free to reach out to us for help. Our clergy sexual abuse lawyers fight tirelessly for the justice that survivors at St. Ursula School in Baltimore deserve. Call us today to get started.