24 New Alleged Perpetrators Identified for First Time
(Buffalo, NY) – Since June 2021, 91 new child sexual abuse lawsuits were filed under the New York Child Victims Act (CVA) involving the Diocese of Buffalo. At least 24 alleged perpetrators were publicly identified in these lawsuits for the first time.
The recently filed lawsuits in the Diocese of Buffalo include the following alleged perpetrators:
Mr. Richard Bourque
Fr. Robert J. Breidenstein
Fr. Roderick N. Brown, O.P.
Fr. Janusz Caputa
Fr. Andrew L. Dunn, O.S.F.S.
Fr. William Finn, C.M.
Mr. David Granville
Mr. Dennis Haas
Fr. Barry E. Hess
Msgr. William Sutherland
Mr. Dave Isbrandt
Mr. Norman Kersch
Fr. Arnold Zebrowski
Br. Patrick Lynch, O.F.M.
Fr. Leon M. Neu
Fr. George P. O’Neill
Fr. Thaddeus Osweski
Msgr. Stanislaus Sierakowski
Fr. Aloysius Sobus, O.M.C.
Fr. Bernard Sokolowski
Fr. John Sturm, S.J.
Br. Augustine Towey, C.M.
Fr. Richard/Ryszard Urban
Mr. Francis Van Eich
“We call on Bishop Fisher to publicly identify all perpetrators of child sexual abuse in the Diocese of Buffalo before the August 13, Child Victims Act deadline because we know there are more names the Diocese has yet to release,” said attorney Stacey Benson. “When a survivor sees the name of the person who harmed them, then he or she can know that they are not alone.”
- Of the 24 alleged perpetrators, it is believed that 13 are deceased. The whereabouts of 11 alleged perpetrators, and whether they currently work with children, is unconfirmed.
- The alleged dates of abuse in the lawsuits range from approximately 1941 to 2006.
The deadline to file a lawsuit under the New York Child Victims Act is August 13, 2021.
“The magnitude of the crisis in the Diocese of Buffalo is more apparent now than ever,” said attorney Steve Boyd. “The courageous survivors in Buffalo deserve transparency before this window closes.”