34 Total Perpetrators Implicated in 58 Lawsuits Alleging Child Sexual Abuse in the Diocese of Rochester
(Rochester, NY) – Today, attorneys from the law firms of Jeff Anderson & Associates and Steve Boyd, PC, on behalf of numerous courageous survivors, filed another 58 child sexual abuse complaints under the New York Child Victims Act (CVA) involving abuse in the Diocese of Rochester. The firms have now filed a total of 90 lawsuits involving abuse in the Diocese.
“We are honored to stand with these survivors in their pursuit of truth and accountability,” said attorney Jeff Anderson. “The number of complaints being filed demonstrates the magnitude of peril that has existed in the Diocese for decades and that will no longer continue due to these courageous survivors.”
The Diocese of Rochester filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in September 2019. The current deadline to file claims in the bankruptcy case is August 13, 2020.
Among the complaints:
- 34 total perpetrators implicated in 58 lawsuits alleging abuse in the Diocese
- Bishop Matthew Clark testified regarding his knowledge of 7 of the perpetrators in his March 2020 deposition
- 7 priests publicly identified as abusing children in the Diocese for the first time: Msgr. George Eckl, Fr. Mark Miller, Fr. David Heinsler, Fr. James Wolfe, Fr. Richard Hart, Fr. Joseph D’Aurizio, and Fr. Emmett Davis
- 7 additional lawsuits involving notorious perpetrator, Fr. Francis Vogt
The deadline to file claims in the Diocese of Rochester Chapter 11 bankruptcy case is August 13, 2020. The Committee of Unsecured Creditors has filed a motion in the bankruptcy case to extend this filing deadline in light of Governor Cuomo’s executive order to extend the CVA deadline by five months and, more recently, New York legislators’ unanimous approval of a one-year extension. The Motion will be heard in bankruptcy court on July 30, 2020.
“The Diocese’s Chapter 11 filing and attempt to evade responsibility for the horrendous crimes committed against children in its institutions will not deter survivors from seeking truth and accountability,” said attorney Steve Boyd. “These plaintiffs are joining the hundreds of survivors across New York in ensuring that children are better protected moving forward.”
Despite the pending motion in bankruptcy court, survivors should take action by August 13, 2020 to preserve their legal rights in the bankruptcy case and under the New York CVA.