News & Events

May 13, 2011: Amnesty International Accuses Vatican of Human Rights Violations

Today, Amnesty International issued its annual global report on the state of human rights and named the Vatican in its list of countries with human rights violations.
In its report, Amnesty International specifically cited the Vatican for its failure to remove priests accused of sexual abuse from ministry, not co-operating  with authorities, and not giving victims the proper relief, saying “The Holy See did not sufficiently comply with its international obligations relating to the protection of children.” 
We are encouraged to see an internationally-known organization like Amnest…

May 13, 2011: Amnesty International Accuses Vatican of Human Rights Violations

Today, Amnesty International issued its annual global report on the state of human rights and named the Vatican in its list of countries with human rights violations. In its report, Amnesty International specifically cited the Vatican for its failure to remove priests accused of sexual abuse from ministry, not co-operating  with authorities, and not giving victims the proper relief, saying “The Holy See did not sufficiently comply with its international obligations relating to the protection of children.”

May 13, 2011: Reflections from Chicago

On Wednesday our law firm filed a lawsuit in Chicago against the Vatican. The lawsuit is an attempt to hold Vatican officials accountable for their direct role in covering up the sexual abuse of children perpetrated by Fr. Daniel McCormack. Some wonder why we filed this suit. After all, didn’t the Archdiocese of Chicago settle with this survivor?

May 13, 2011: Chicago Archdiocese ‘surprised’ at lawyer’s claims

CHICAGO— The Archdiocese
of Chicago says it’s “surprised” by a lawyer’s claim that the Archdiocese is
withholding files on priests accused of sexually abusing children.
Attorney Jeff Anderson filed a lawsuit Wednesday against the Vatican on behalf of a
woman whose son was molested by a former Chicago priest. Anderson says the
Archdiocese promised as part of a 2008 settlement with 16 abuse victims to
release documents on priests who’d been credibly accused of abuse. But he contends that hasn’t happened and he believes it’s because Vatican won’t
allow it. In a statement released …

May 09, 2011: New Lawsuit Emerges Against Archdiocese Of Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – John Doe number 172 was 13 years old and an
altar boy at Resurrection of Our Lord in Northeast Philadelphia when his
attorneys say the abuse began at the hands of Father Robert Brennan.
“He would take the kids, build their trust, groom the parents,” said Jeff
Anderson, Doe’s attorney, “have them sit on his lap, use their bodies for his
own sexual purpose.”
Anderson and his team of attorneys say Father Brennan abused John Doe over
the course of a year and a half between 1993 and 1994. But according to the 2005
grand jury report, Brennan abused many more childr…

May 09, 2011: New Lawsuit Emerges Against Archdiocese Of Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – John Doe number 172 was 13 years old and an
altar boy at Resurrection of Our Lord in Northeast Philadelphia when his
attorneys say the abuse began at the hands of Father Robert Brennan.
“He would take the kids, build their trust, groom the parents,” said Jeff
Anderson, Doe’s attorney, “have them sit on his lap, use their bodies for his
own sexual purpose.”
Anderson and his team of attorneys say Father Brennan abused John Doe over
the course of a year and a half between 1993 and 1994. But according to the 2005
grand jury report, Brennan abused many more childr…

Apr 29, 2011: Accused Of Sexual Abuse: The Monks That Live Next Door

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Earlier this month, St. John’s Abbey in
Collegeville mailed letters to thousands of St. John’s Prep School alumni saying
over a period of more than 40 years, 17 monks had “credible allegations of
sexual abuse brought against them.”
Four of the monks have died, 10 remain at the Abbey with restrictions imposed
on their activities.
But three of the monks accused of sexually abusing children and young adults 
live here in the Twin Cities.

Apr 22, 2011: Judge orders Vatican to show files in abuse case

A federal judge in Oregon ruled Thursday that the
Vatican must respond to certain requests for information from a man who says he
was molested by a priest in the 1960s.
The man known in court documents as John V. Doe filed suit eight years ago.
He seeks to hold the Vatican liable for the abuse he said he suffered from the
Rev. Andrew Ronan, who died in 1992.

Apr 14, 2011: Attorney: Lawsuit against Vatican will be long and hard battle

The Vatican has been served with court papers related to allegations in a
sexual abuse case. St. Paul attorney Jeff Anderson said this week he was
notified that the papers were successfully filed through official diplomatic
channels.
The lawsuit was filed nearly a year ago in federal court on behalf of Terry
Kohut, now of Chicago. It claims Pope Benedict and two other top Vatican
officials knew about allegations of sexual abuse at St. John’s School for the
Deaf outside Milwaukee, and called off internal punishment of the accused
priest, the late Rev. Lawrence Murphy.