Detroit Archdiocese Priest Sex Abuse Lawsuits

Lawyers Helping Families Harmed by Priest Sex Abuse in the Detroit Archdiocese

Priest sexual abuse in Michigan's Detroit Archdiocese is a deep problem that affects adult survivors, their families, their parishes and the broader Catholic community in the state of Michigan. Priest sexual abuse in the Detroit Archdiocese broke a sacred trust and led to decades of (often silent) suffering. New legislation in Michigan has given clergy sexual abuse survivors in the Detroit Archdiocese new rights to report child sexual abuse that happened decades ago.

Now, survivors of priest sexual abuse in Michigan's Detroit Archdiocese can finally seek justice and much-deserved compensation in a court of law. Supported by loved ones, many survivors are taking the brave and healing step of reporting their experience of child sexual abuse at the hands of a Detroit Archdiocese priest, bishop, or other Catholic clergy member for the first time, sometimes many decades after the events took place.

Leading up to the expansion of survivors' legal rights to report child sexual abuse in the Detroit Archdiocese of Michigan, the Michigan Attorney General's office has been engaged in a multi-year investigation to unearth the long and deep history of priest and clergy sexual abuse in the Detroit Archdiocese. To date, more than 450 Catholic clergy members in the Detroit Archdiocese and other Catholic dioceses around the state have been accused of inflicting sex abuse on children and youth. Over 800 survivors have come forward to report incidents of priest sexual abuse from their childhoods. Many bishops, priests, and other clergy members in the Detroit Archdiocese have been accused of multiple acts of sexual abuse. To avoid scandal, priests accused of child sexual abuse may have been shuffled to a new parish within the Detroit Archdiocese, or to another diocese or state–where they went on to inflict more harm. To date, eleven clergy members have been convicted of priest sex abuse, in the Detroit Archdiocese and others.

Even if the abuse occurred decades ago, you may now be eligible to file a Detroit Archdiocese priest sexual abuse lawsuit. Contact our Michigan priest sexual abuse attorneys serving the Detroit Archdiocese for a free, confidential consultation to see if you qualify.

When California passed similar legislation in 2002, Catholic dioceses there paid $1.2 billion in priest sex abuse settlements. Similar payouts have followed in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, after those states expanded the rights of survivors to report priest sexual abuse dating back decades. Damages may include past and future medical expenses related to the abuse (including mental health needs), emotional suffering, and punitive damages.

Deciding to report priest sexual abuse is a very personal choice and the wishes of the survivor always come first. As experienced personal injury attorneys, our priest sexual abuse lawyers for the Detroit Archdiocese have worked with countless families through the most difficult time in their lives. If you are a survivor of priest sexual abuse in the Detroit Archdiocese, we want you to know that what happened to you was not your fault. It is our mission to seek justice on behalf of you and others like you, and to help you access the compensation you need and deserve.

Some survivors say that filing a claim for clergy sexual abuse in the Detroit Archdiocese can help in your healing process. Filing a Detroit Archdiocese clergy sexual abuse lawsuit also sends a strong message that this type of behavior is not tolerated in Michigan's Detroit Archdiocese any longer.

If you would like to learn more about filing a claim, contact our firm for a free consultation. Our primary goal is to assist and support survivors in Michigan's Detroit Archdiocese as they take this brave step--bringing our expertise, considerable resources and determination to win on your behalf.

Detroit Archdiocese Priest Sex Abuse Lawsuits

Reporting harm that happened during your past can take a tremendous amount of courage. Yet adult survivors say that filing a Detroit Archdiocese priest sex abuse lawsuit can be an important step in the healing process. First, filing a clergy sexual abuse lawsuit in Michigan's Detroit Archdiocese can serve to hold Detroit Archdiocese, parish or school leaders accountable for their failure to protect children. Second, you may be entitled to significant compensation for the pain and suffering you have experienced over the years. Read full information on filing a confidential priest sex abuse lawsuit in Michigan's Detroit Archdiocese.

Detroit Archdiocese Priest Sex Abuse Lawsuit FAQs

Our attorneys have compiled a list of common Detroit Archdiocese clergy sex abuse lawsuit questions and answers. From your role in a lawsuit to confidentiality, the cost of filing a claim to details on who is eligible to report, this page answers the most common Detroit Archdiocese priest sex abuse lawsuit questions received by our firm. To ask specific questions about your circumstances, our attorneys are providing free and confidential case reviews. Read full clergy sexual abuse lawsuit questions and answers for Michigan's Detroit Archdiocese.

Detroit Archdiocese Priest Sexual Abuse Attorneys

Our team of Michigan priest sexual abuse attorneys serving the Detroit Archdiocese bring great care to the work of representing adult survivors. We understand the sensitive nature of disclosing harm and trauma in your past. Through confidential and free case reviews, our Catholic clergy sexual abuse attorneys for Michigan's Detroit Archdiocese can give you a sense of your legal rights and options. Read full information on legal representation from our priest sex abuse lawyers for Detroit Archdiocese claims.

Detroit Archdiocese Priest Sex Abuse Lawsuits

Survivors of Priest Sexual Abuse in Michigan's Detroit Archdiocese Have New Rights Under Expanded Statute of Limitations

If you or a loved one is an adult survivor of sexual abuse by a Catholic priest or clergy member in Michigan's Detroit Archdiocese, you may have new and expanded rights to file a Detroit Archdiocese priest sexual abuse lawsuit to recover compensation for damages.

In 2023, the Michigan legislature made landmark changes enabling survivors of child sexual abuse to pursue justice in a court of law for incidents that took place decades ago. This change comes in the wake of a multi-year investigation by the office of the Michigan Attorney General into priest sexual abuse allegations dating back to the 1970s.

More than 450 priests from the Detroit Archdiocese and others have been implicated in over 800 allegations of Michigan priest sexual abuse--so far. Now these survivors can bring forward Detroit Archdiocese priest sexual abuse lawsuits and seek damages for the associated pain, suffering and loss. Michigan priest sexual abuse lawsuits aim to hold institutions, such as the Detroit Archdiocese and its parishes and schools, responsible for harm caused to the children and youth in their care.

Detroit Archdiocese Priest Sexual Abuse Lawsuits Bring Institutions to Justice

Priest sex abuse lawsuits in Michigan's Detroit Archdiocese enable adult survivors and their family members to seek compensation for the pain and suffering resulting from these horrible incidents. Michigan follows several other states including California, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania in expanding the statute of limitations, and our attorneys anticipate the Michigan Catholic Church will establish a victims compensation to handle the large number of claims that can be expected from the Detroit Archdiocese and others.

Even if the abuse occurred decades ago, you may be eligible for compensation under Michigan's new law. Contact our Detroit Archdiocese priest sex abuse attorneys for a free consultation.

Alongside the ongoing statewide investigation by the Office of the Michigan Attorney General, each Detroit Archdiocese priest sex abuse lawsuit will help to prevent future sexual abuse of children by Detroit Archdiocese priests, sending a message to both perpetrators and institutions that priest sexual abuse will no longer be tolerated in the Detroit Archdiocese of Michigan. Our attorneys handling Detroit Archdiocese priest sex abuse lawsuits are committed to bringing to justice each of the seven Catholic dioceses in Michigan, along with their hundreds of parishes, schools and summer camps, no matter how complex the case.

Filing a Detroit Archdiocese priest sexual abuse lawsuit can be an important step in the healing process for victims who were abused by a priest or youth group leader in their childhood. Many adults who experienced sexual abuse during childhood have kept the experience buried emotionally if not completely unspoken for decades. It is not uncommon to find adult survivors of Detroit Archdiocese priest sexual abuse have suffered from unexplained challenges such as addiction, anxiety or depression. Confronting abuse and mistreatment you experienced as a child is a difficult and painful process, but it can lead to vital healing.

Detroit Archdiocese Clergy Sexual Abuse Lawsuits

If you or a member of your family experienced sexual abuse at the hands of a priest or Catholic clergy member in the Detroit Archdiocese, you may qualify to file a priest sexual abuse lawsuit to recover compensation for emotional and physical suffering and its impacts throughout life. Filing Detroit Archdiocese priest sex abuse lawsuits is the only way for adult survivors and their families to access compensation or hold the parish or diocese accountable for resultant harm and suffering.

Our attorneys are accepting priest sexual abuse lawsuits from Michigan's Detroit Archdiocese, and offer no-cost, no-obligation case review for persons throughout the Detroit Archdiocese who were sexually abused by a member of the Catholic clergy. To discuss your situation in detail with an attorney and to learn about survivors' rights to file priest sex abuse lawsuits in the Detroit Archdiocese, please complete our online contact form. One of our attorneys handling Detroit Archdiocese priest sex abuse lawsuits will contact you promptly.

Priests accused of sexual abuse from parishes in the Detroit Archdiocese:

• Father Benedict Adams was ordained in 1957 to the Archdiocese of Detroit. For most of his career, he worked in Wisconsin and was also associated with St. Anthony Retreat Center, Marathon, for some time. He was added to the Saginaw diocese’s list on August 9, 2019. He passed away on April 15, 2002. Father Adams was named in the Audit and Review of the Files of the Capuchin Province of St. Joseph on June 18, 2013, as a confirmed sexual abuser of minors.
• Father Roman Ament was ordained in 1934 to the Archdiocese of Detroit. His name featured on the St. Joseph Province Capuchins list of clergymen with confirmed cases of sexually abusing minors and vulnerable adults. The list was publicly announced in January 2019. He passed away in 1984.
• Father Joseph Baker was ordained to the Archdiocese of Detroit in 1993. In June 2019, he was the Pastor of St. Perpetua, Waterford Township, when the ministry terminated his services due to an ongoing investigation against him. It was alleged that Baker had raped a child under the age of 13 in 2004 in a storage closet at St. Mary’s in Wayne. The accuser was studying in second grade then and was getting ready for First Communion.  Baker was arrested on July 8, 2019, for sexual conduct and penetration with a minor under the age of 13, and in October 2022, he was convicted. He was sentenced to 3-15 years of prison on March 1, 2013.
• Father Harry S. Benjamin was ordained in 1968 to the Archdiocese of Detroit. Benjamin had allegedly molested a 14-year-old boy during a trip to Europe, during pizza and beer parties at the rectory. In a letter in November 1989, he admitted to the abuse and resigned and was laicized in 1992. His name, however, was not made public till May 2002. In the same year, a criminal lawsuit was filed in 2002. With a plea agreement, he was incarcerated for a year in 2003. He continued participating in mass until 2005 even though he was not permitted to do so. As of July 2010, his name features on the Virginia Sex Offender Registry.
• Father Gary D. Berthiaume was ordained in 1968 to the Archdiocese of Detroit. He was charged of sexually abusing two minor boys in Detroit and subsequently charged in 1978. He was jailed for six months and then was associated with the Cleveland diocese as a parish. Berthiaume was asked to get treatment in MD after Cleveland allegantons. From 1988 to 2002, he worked as a chaplain at a hospital under Bishop Imesch at the Joilet diocese. Berthiaume and Bishop Imesch knew each other since 1970s when they had worked together at a Michigan parish. Till 2002, he lived at an IL retreat house and in November 2007, he was laicized. His name was included in the list of credibly accused of the Detroit archdiocese on June 10, 2019 and Cleveland’ list on June 21, 2019. There were many allegations of abuse against him during all these years. In 1983, there was a civil suit filed against him by a Detroit victim. In 1999, there was another legal case filed against him claiming abuse in the 1980s. In September 2020, he was arrested in IL allegedly for abusing sexually a boy aged 14 years in 1997 at Farmington Michigan parish. He was also charged in two additional cases of abuses dating from 1970s in June 2021 in MI. in November 2011, he pleased guilty and admitted that he was sexually abusing minor boys. On January 2022, his plea was changed to no contest. He received a sentence of 20 months to 15 years. His name is a part of the IL Attorney General’s Report dated May 23, 2023 wherein it is mentioned that there were four reported survivors.
• Sr. Gael N. Biondo or Sr. Mary Gael was alleged in 1996 by a woman that Biondo had sexually abused her between 1964 and 197 when Biondo was the English teacher of the girl in her freshman years. The woman alleged that it started when she was in high school and continued till the time she completed her college. Biondo, who had left the religious duties in 1971 and had got married by then denied all charges. Biondo passed away when she was 93 years in May 2020.
• Father Brian Bjorklund was ordained in 1966 to the Archdiocese of Detroit. He was chaplain in Navy and was removed from ministerial tasks when allegations of sexual abuse of a male minor was levelled against him in 2003. Though no criminal charges were levelled, it was alleged that he indulged the minor during his early years as a priest. The charges were substantiated by the review board, though in February 2004, he was reinstated as an active priest. This was after the Vatican ruled in his favor based on the canon law passed during 1975-76. Under the law, the actions allegedly could not be considered sexual abuse of a minor below the age of 16. However, the navy never took him back. Bjorklund passed away on September 25, 2007.
• Father Edmund S. Borycz was ordained to the Archdiocese of Detroit in 1968.  He was alleged to have sexually exploited five youngsters between 1963 and 1987. Even though the police knew about the accusations in 1987, the file was never pursued. He was associated with the Detroit and Livonia parishes. Between 1989 and 2001, he worked with the Archdiocese of Military Services. He had to go on leave in July 2002 and from June 2006, he was permanently removed from the active status without any privileges by the Vatican. His name was included on June 4, 2018 on Erie diocese’ list of ministers and lay employees and volunteers for sexual abuse of minors. On June 10, 2019, his name was included in the Detroit Archdiocese’s list too. Borycz passed away on January 8, 2018.
• Father William B. Brennan was ordained on 1953 to the Archdiocese of Detroit. He was accused of sexual misconduct during the initial years of priesthood. There were three separate complaints from three women. In 2003, he was placed on leave. Investigations went for nine months before the allegations were substantiated by Archdiocese. In September 2005, he was removed permanently from ministerial work by the Vatican. However, due to statute of limitations, no criminal charges were levied. Brennan passed away on February 5, 2012.
• Father Gary Bueche was ordained to the Archdiocese of Detroit in 1970. His name is included in the Detroit archdiocese’s list of credibly accused dated June 10, 2019. In April 2002, he was accused of making a secret cash settlement with a male who had alleged that Bueche had sexually abused him several years before. At that time, Bueche was the high school chaplain. He was consequently removed from all ministerial assignments in April 2002. After several years, he was assigned to archdiocesan offices and then permitted to carry out parish work. He was eventually permanently terminated from parish work and name a co-conspirator in a civil case in May 2004.
• Father Robert N. Burkholder Perceived as one of the most terrible pedophiles in Michigan since the 1940s; 1968 saw the main protest. In 1985, he "resigned". Eliminated in 1993 following a composed confirmation of molesting at least 23 young boys. The 1994 civil cases were excused because of the legal time limit; they were settled in 1995. Notwithstanding being on clinical leave, according to the Catholic Directory, the Military clergyman started serving in Hawaii in 1982. In 2002, he was extradited, sentenced to 30 days in prison and five years of probation, and then removed without authorization and for all time in 2005. The same Hawaiian plaintiff filed another two cases against him in 2009. Rober passed away on June 6, 2006. Recorded on the Detroit Archdiocese's list as of June 10, 2019.
• Father Thomas J. Cain:Father Thomas passed away in 1984. The Archdiocese of Detroit proclaimed on its site on October 27, 2014, that the Archdiocesan Board of Review had found the credible allegations against Cain; he had been accused long after his demise. Cain worked in Livonia from 1960 until 1984, as well as in Pontiac, Monroe, Mount Clemens, and Detroit - on the Archdiocese's rundown of the people who can be accepted to be blameless as of June 10, 2019.
• Father Anthony J. Conti Through at least 1988, he was known as A. J. "Anthony" Helinski - removed in 2002 following claims of over 20 years of sexual misbehavior with a minor under the age of 18. Banned from ministry for life. Cited in a legal lawsuit from 2004 - lapsed in June, 2006. Conti passed away on October 9, 2016. Listed as one of the credibly accused by the archdiocese on June 10, 2019.
• Father Arthur Cooney Identified as a present friar with verified allegations of sexually abusing minors in the Capuchin audit report of June 18, 2013. The only information on Cooney's allegations on this list is that he was placed under surveillance and removed from public ministry. 8/9/2019 on the Saginaw Diocese's list.
• Father Augustine Cops Originally from the Netherlands. In 1959, he became a friar in the Capuchin Order. In 1986, he was ordained for Archdiocese of Detroit. The St. Joseph Province Capuchins publicly named him as the subject of substantiated charges on their list in 10/2020. (Placing Copsunder Detroit, where the Province is situated.) In 10/2022, he was included on the Chicago archdiocese's list, where he was assigned to a parish from 1986 to 1988. Included in the IL Attorney General's Report dated 5/23/2023.
• Father Patrick J. D'Angelo D'Angelo (DeAngelo) is remembered for the archdiocese's Priests and Policy Statue Report for 10/2009. It's recorded that his case was previously managed by the archdiocese policy, and it confirms his passing. He passed on December 8, 1998. D'Angelo had been removed from publicly ministry, as per the archdiocese's rundown of credibly accused concerning 6/10/2019.
• Br. Frank Luke Dalton In 1955, he was admitted to the Order. Dalton worked in British Columbia, Palma High School in Salinas, California, from 1964-1969, and 1988-1999. Furthermore, he tutored & counseled migrant work camp youngsters; managed a preteen migrant labor camp through Franciscan Workers. Additionally, Dalton served as a commissioner on the Monterey County Juvenile Justice Commission and contributed to CFC schools in Butte, MT; Joliet, IL; Burbank, IL; Bloomfield Hills, MI; and Cantwell High School in Montebello, CA. His teaching and coaching extended into the realm of sports. Dalton died 1/11/2001. However, a man testified in a Michigan state hearing on the statute of limitations in May, 2018,  that Dalton assaulted him at Brother Rice High School in Bloomfield Hills, MI, around 40 years ago, when he was a student, and Dalton was the principal.
• Father Michael J. Daly Daly was ordained in 1975 for Archdiocese of Detroit and his privileges were permanently withdrawn on June 6, 2002 due to previous complaints of sexual assault aginst him. He was initially placed on leave in 1994 after a credible allegation of sexual misbehavior with kids surfaced. In 1996, he began serving as a limited ministry chaplain for the Felician Sisters. In 5/2005, the Vatican permanently prohibited him from public ministry. He died on January 30, 2012, at the age of 63.
• Father Luis Javier de Alba Campos: Campos was from the San Juan de los Lagos diocese in Mexico. He entered the Detroit Archdiocese, Michigan in February of 2004. He was accused of fondling a 7-year-old boy in June 2004  and was arrested in August 2004. Additionally, he was charged with two charges of criminal sexual behavior in the second degree. Campos acknowledged that he had slept with the boy in his underpants while drunk at the boys' house. Cleared by a jury in January 2005 but remained ineligible for employment while the archdiocese conducted an internal inquiry. He appears to have gone back to his native Mexican diocese. According to the Detroit archdiocese's list dated June 10, 2019, de Alba Campos served as an extern priest there for a short time before leaving.
• Father Harold Charles Depp According to reports in May 2003, Depp left his parish in the Detroit archdiocese in 1963 and never came back. He was put "on leave" but never formally left the preisthood. The Archdiocese discovered in the 1980s that Depp was incarcerated in Alaska for eight years after being found guilty of sexually abusing a child in 1982. Charges of assaulting an 11-year-old kid in 1971 while a visiting priest from Detroit led to his arrest in California in 2003. The lawsuit was dismissed on July 15, 2003, for statute of limitations. Listed as one of the credibly accused on the Detroit Archdiocese's 6/10/2019 list.
• Father Dennis D. Duggan After a credible allegation of abuse, he was eliminated from the parish in 3/2002. He denied allegation; however, he acknowledge alcohol abuse. During the 1980s and 1990s, there were around five known reports of abuse. The Archdiocese requested a church trial in 2004. Laicization was proclaimed on April 20, 2007. On the Archdiocese's rundown of soundly blamed of sexually abused with respect to 6/10/2019.
• Father Lawrence A. Edwards In a 5/2004 lawsuit, a man accused him of assaulting him as a youngster, aged 10 to 12, at St. Mary's in Milford. According to the lawsuit, there are several additional victims. Lawrence's activities in 1967 may have been known to the Archdiocese. He retired in 1985 and passed away in 1999.
• Father Jude T. Ellinghausen In 6/2002, he "retired" with restricted ministry due to previous accusations discovered in his personnel file by a County Prosecutor. Charges are excessively old for criminal indictment. After Ellinghausen's retirement, a male complainant approached to guarantee that he was abused as a child by Ellinghausen for quite some time during the 1970s. A civil lawsuit has been documented against you. Laicization was pronounced in 2005. On the archdiocese's list of credibly blamed with respect to 6/10/2020.
• Father Lawrence T. Fares Beloging to Kobayath - a town in Akkar, Lebanon. Fares was initially ordained in Rome. He arrived in the United States in 1969 and began working as a priest in the Detroit archdiocese. He was incardinated and retired in 1997. In 1/2021, at the age of 96, he was removed from ministry after the Archdiocese Board of Review found serious claims of child sex abuse dating back to his priesthood. The Archdiocese was notified of the claims, which had been reported to the police, on 7/2019. In 1/2021, he was added to the Archdiocese's list of accused.
• Father Joseph P. Femminineo In 1985-1987, I was sent to all-girls Ladywood High School in Livonia, Michigan. Femminineo resigned from St. Rita Parish in Holly, Michigan on 10/20/1996, it was disclosed in 2002, when previous claims of sexual misbehavior involving kids reappeared. The Archdiocese stated on 5/2005 that Femminineo had been permanently prohibited from public ministry by the Vatican. On the Archdiocese's list as of 6/10/2019. In 5/2020, he died.
• Father Leonard R. Foisy Foisy's schooling and work conveyed him from New Hampshire to New York, Montreal, Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Michigan. He filled in as a Sulpilcian and in the Diocese of Manchester, where he likewise worked in parish and medical clinics. In a 1994 claim, he was blamed for molesting a young boy for a considerable period of 4 years during the 1960s in Michigan, while he was serving as the administrator of St. John's Theological school in Plymouth. In 1996, he was put on sick leave. Foisy left the world on 4/29/2016.
• Father Egbert Heinlein Listed in 2023 by the Detroit archdiocese as credibly accused. The year 1999 saw Heinlein's passing.
• Father Leopold Gleissner Identified as a present friar with verified allegations of sexual abuse of kids in the 6/18/2013 Report of the Audit and Review of the Files of the Capuchin Province of St. Joseph. The only information on Gleissner's allegations that is given on this list is that he was placed under surveillance and removed from public ministry.
• Father Louis E. Grandpre The year 2003 saw the retirement of Grandpre, the pastor of Clinton Township's St. Paul of Tarsus. He stayed on as a senior priest in residence. However, he was removed in September 2013 from all public ministry after a diocesan review board determined that a serious accusation of sexual misconduct with a minor during his early career had been made. The case was submitted to the county prosecutor. A memo from Bishop Harrington on 9/22/1997 was released stating a sexual harassment lawsuit against Grandpre. The memo was made public by SNAP in September of 2013. He passed away on February 20, 2016.
• Father Clarence (Rudolph) Grosser Czechoslovakian by birth and bought up in Wisconsin, Grosser was identified as a deceased friar in the 6/18/2013 Report of the Audit and Review of the Files of the Capuchin Province of St. Joseph with verified allegations of sexually abusing minors The only other detail about the allegations against Grosser that is given on this list is that he visited the New York Province in 1952. According to his obituary, Grosser began his career as a teacher at Mt. Calvary Minor Seminary in Wisconsin. He then served in parishes in Manhattan, New York, Yonkers, Brooklyn, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Likewise doled out to friaries in Hudson NH and Post NY, then, at that point, to a sanctuary in Springfield Mama. Semi-retired in 1974 to the Milton Mama newcomer, then, at that point, the Abington Mama friary. He died 5/13/1989.
• Father Robert W. Haener Accused of abusing several boys both sexually and mentally during the 1960s and early 1970s at two Catholic institutions and parishes. A group of unidentified priests visited a school in the late 1960s as part of an inquiry, questioning around thirty boys. For years afterward, nothing further was done. Haener left his church in 1992 and went on to serve as a hospital chaplain. He was then taken out from the hospital in 2002 and ejected from public ministry by the Vatican in 2005 for good. Added to the archdiocese's list on June 10, 2019.
• Father Kent Hajduk Stated in public that the Province of St. John the Baptist Franciscans had verified the accusations of child sexual abuse made against Hadjuk in January 2021. Hajduk was laicized when he abandoned the order. He passed away on 24 January, 2018. His name was included on the Detroit Archdiocese's list as of January 14, 2021. Additionally, he made to the Cincinnati archdiocese's list on 2/14/2022.
• Father Albert Hillebrand Hillebrand was ordained for the Order of Augustinians. Principal of Detroit's Austin Catholic Prep High School from the middle of the 1960s until the middle of the 1970s. He seems to have become an archdiocese priest after leaving the Order in the early 1980s. His name was cited in public as being fairly accused on the Detroit Archdiocese's list as of June 10, 2019. Hillebrand was taken out of the public ministry; passed away on July 20, 1999.
• Father Thomas J. Johnston In 2000, a church secretary in the Detroit Archdiocese filed a lawsuit against Johnston, claiming that her employment contract was not extended because her teenage son had rejected the priest's 1999 advances for sex. Johnston denied any sexual contact, although he did acknowledge using improper language and sexual conduct. He was taken out of the parish and sent to Illinois. He was released from the Order in 2006 and was listed as one of the credibly accused by the Detroit archdiocese on June 10, 2019. Added to the list of the Chicago archdiocese in October 2022. Featured in the Illinois Attorney General's Report, dated May 23, 2023.
• Father Neil Kalina In 2017, the archdiocese received a complaint alleging that Kalina had fondled a 12-year-old boy who had been given drugs, alcohol, and marijuana during sleepovers at the rectory of St. Kieran in Utica in the middle of the 1980s. The parish priest was Kalina - found guilty on narcotics charges in 1985; given a six-month prison term and two-year probationary period in 1986. He moved to California in 1986 and 1993 saw the end of his active ministry. He led a program aiding at-risk young men and went by the name "Father Neil." Investigated in 2018 by the Michigan Attorney General, he was arrested in May 2019 in Littlerock, CA, facing charges of criminal sexual conduct. His arraignment was scheduled for February 10, 2020, concerning two alleged incidents involving a teenager in 1984. His name appeared on the Detroit Archdiocese's list on June 10, 2019. Additionally, he was listed on the San Bernardino diocese's list in May 2021, having served at parishes in Redlands and Riverside from 1987 to 1989. Ultimately, he was convicted in June 2022 and sentenced on July 26, 2022, receiving 7-15 years in prison, with credit for 215 days served.
• Father Arthur Michael Karey A Monsignor known for his service in Detroit, Ecorse, and Orion, also serving as a police chaplain, passed away in 1993. The complaint that Karey had sexually molested a girl under the age of sixteen during the early to mid-years of his priesthood was received the year before, and the archdiocese said in June 2018 that it had looked into the claim and found it to be credible.
• Father Kenneth Kaucheck: In January 2009, a lady came into touch with the Archdiocese of Detroit, claiming that Kaucheck had sexual misconduct with her when she was sixteen years old in 1976 when she was receiving treatment from Guardian Angels in Clawson. After learning that the two had gone to Florida together, a friend informed the deacon, who in turn informed the pastor. The preacher and the girl's father had a meeting; Kaucheck was moved. Kaucheck was put on leave following the 2009 incidents with effect from April 23, 2009; the Review Board found the complaint substantial. He left his roles as pastor of St. James' in Ferndale and St. Mary's in Royal Oak. Not prosecuted because she was was more than Michigan's age of consent at that point. In 2015, with a religious recluse, Kaucheck established Gianna House Pregnancy and Parenting Residence, an office for pregnant youngsters in Eastpointe.  As per the archdiocese, Kaucheck stepped down from the center on April 17, 2016. Later, on January 30, 2017, he initiated a lawsuit against SNAP and two newspapers, alleging defamation. Throughout, Kaucheck strongly asserted his innocence.
• Father C. Richard Kelly, Jr Put on leave in February 2004 following an investigation by the archdiocese over claims that he had molested a young boy sexually around thirty years earlier. Matter submitted in 2003 to the civil authorities. Review committee determined that the claims were "substantive." Has taken a sabbatical in 1992 and a leave of absence in 1973. He served for twelve years as an Army National Guard chaplain; eight months in the Persian Gulf War (1991) abroad. A man who claimed abuse in third grade filed a lawsuit on May 4, 2004. He was permanently removal from public ministry in 2005. Furthermore, he was added to the archdiocese's list on June 10, 2019. Passed away on January 3, 2021.
• Sr. Theresa Marie Kulwicki Patricia Kulwicki, known by birth. Kulwicki spent eight years as a Felician nun before deciding to leave the order in 1973. A 57-year-old woman publicly accused Kulwicki in 2019 of sexually abusing her for 10 years, starting when she was fourteen. The woman was a Kulwicki student at Farmington Hills, Michigan's Our Lady of Mercy High School. She added that in the late 1980s, she and her family reported the abuse to the archbishop, but Kulwicki denied their claims. She was permitted to proceed with her teaching profession at the school until 1994, when she passed away.
• Father John Baptist Kurcz John Baptist, also known as Donald Kurcz was identified as a former friar with verified allegations of sexual abuse of kids in the 6/18/2013 Report of the Audit and Review of the Files of the Capuchin Province of St. Joseph. Kurcz's name appears on this list without any further details on allegations against him other than that he married and left the order in 1958.
• Father Dennis Laesch Began attending seminary at the age of 36; at that time, there had been reports of violence and unsolicited advances made to other students. Blamed for alleged abuse of a 17-year-old boy who came out in 2002. However, authorities decided not to put any charges. The archdiocese did the settlement for the amount of $125,000. His name appeared in the civil case from 2004. Laesch was permanently banned from public ministry by the Vatican in 2007.
• Father Richard Lauinger The archdiocese revealed on March 28, 2016, that Lauinger had molested minors sexually while serving in ministry. A lady came forward to publicly reveal that Lauinger, a priest at Our Lady of Sorrows in Farmington, Michigan, had sexually assaulted her when she was ten years old in the 1950s. Due to the statute of limitations, she was not prosecuted after filing a police report in February 2016. Lauinger also held positions in St. Clair Shores, Royal Oak, Scotland, and Detroit parishes. He moved out of Michigan in 1985 after leaving the priesthood in 1975. According to the archdiocese, starting January 1, 2016, several victims have come forward and reported assault by Lauinger. He was added to the archdiocese's list on June 10, 2019.
• Father Walter J. Lezuchowski Lezuchowski was prohibited from parish ministry in 1991 after the archdiocese considered valid claims that he had physically abused a young girl over age 16. He was sent for treatment. In 2002, another criminal objection was made against Walter. Lezuchowski had by then been effectively serving for a long time at St. Ronald's in Clinton Municipality; the archdiocese said it had no clue he had been as yet working. He was then promptly suspended. For all time, he was prohibited from service in 2005. He died on 12/29/2006.
• Father Michael D. Malawy Malawy was removed from ministry in 2004 following claims that he had engaged in sexual misconduct during his initial years of ministry. The Vatican barred him from public ministry permanently in June of 2006. On July 24, 2015, he passed away. His name was on the diocese's list of credibly accused as of June 10, 2019.
• Father Dennis L. Martell Cited in the 9/2002 Status Report of the Archdiocese. According to the Catholic Directories, he was absent on leave from 1993 to 1994 and assigned to Immaculate Conception of the BVM in Lapeer from 1992 to 1993. After 1994, he was not included in the Directories. Martell was listed as one of the credibly accused by the archdiocese on June 10, 2019.
• Father Bruce C. Maxwell Maxwell worked in Detroit 1983–89, Nebraska 1975–1982 and Indiana 1975. 1989–2002. He also worked as a Navy chaplain in California, Bahrain, Florida, Japan, and North Carolina. Bruce was removed in 2002 due to child abuse. He was directed without any ministry to the Crosier Community in Phoenix. He passed on 2/17/2006. Maxwell was enlisted in the Santa Rosa diocese's list on 1/12/2019. Furthermore, he served as chaplain at the USCG Training Center in Petaluma and as a resident of St. James from 1989 to 1992. As of June 10, 2019, the Detroit archdiocese is listed as credibly accused.
• Father Patrick L. McLaughlin Listed as publicly accused on the Jesuit Midwest Province list as of December 17, 2018. He accepted and joined the order in 1925. He was subjected to a single abuse claim that was made after his death and occurred when he was enrolled at the University of Detroit High School in 1957–1959. On November 12, 1970, McLaughlin passed away. He was listed as one of the credibly accused on the Detroit archdiocese's 6/10/2019 list. Also, he was featured in the Illinois Attorney General's Report, dated May 23, 2023.
• Br. Matthew Migan Migan was identified as a deceased friar with verified allegations of sexual abuse of minors in the 6/18/2013 Report of the Audit and Review of the Files of the Capuchin Province of St. Joseph. The only other information about Migan's allegations on this list is that he visited the New York Province in 1952. He passed away on February 27, 1958.
• Father Alfred J. Miller Following accusations of sexual misbehavior in the late 1960s and early 1970s arose, he was allowed to retire in 2002. No priestly rights were allowed while the matter was being investigated. Multiple people made allegations of abuse involving misbehavior with older male children. In 2003, a civil claim was brought; in 2004, another came forward. Ejected from public ministry by the Vatican in 2005 for good. Miller passed away on May 19, 2021.
• Father James Moeglein Moeglein was one of eight Crosiers who were prohibited from serving in the public ministry and living under restriction in 2002 as a result of claims of sexual misconduct. He worked from 1989 to 1990 in Riverview, Michigan. A 2000 news article identified Moeglein as the prior of a Crosier Monastery in NE until mid-2000. However, since June 2002, Moeglein lacked official permissions and was living on a safety plan as of 2014. He was recognized by the Diocese of St. Cloud on 3/2014 as a credible accuser.
• Deacon Frank Mullen Mullen have been a minister at Most Holy Trinity Parish and instructor at Holy Redeemer Parish Elementary School. He was put on leave in December 1993 following an accusation of child abuse made a few years earlier. He had been laicized, according to the Archdiocese Status Report of October 2009. Listed on the accused list of the Archdiocese as of June 10, 2019.
• Father Timothy J. Murray: He was placed on administrative leave without pay in August 2004 because of a serious allegation of engaging in sexual relations with a boy during the intial phase of his service. The maltreatment was accounted for by the Archdiocese to the D.A's. office; however, because of the legal time limit, no charges were brought. Dismissed from public ministry permanently, as per the October 2009 Archdiocese Status Report. Federal allegations of downloading and viewing child pornography led to the arrest in December of 2012. Admitted guilt in July of 2013. Sentenced on 1/23/2014 to 15 years in jail. 6/10/2019 on the Archdiocese's list.
• Father Lawrence Nawrocki In 1981, a mother reported that Nawrocki had mistreated her son who was in the seventh grade to a local bishop. She was persuaded not to bring charges by the bishop. found guilty in 1989 of abusing three boys from Macomb Township at St. Isidore Church in 1987 after the parents united and lodged a complaint. 4–15 years in jail is the sentence. issued in 1994. He wouldn't be allowed to return to public ministry, according to the Archdiocese. Per the archdiocesan website, visited in October 2009, he was deceased. Listed as one of the people that the Archdiocese believes to be credibly accused on June 10, 2019.
• Father Thomas O'Brien From 1989 onward, there was limited engagement with minors until removal from public ministry on October 4, 2002, due to allegations of abusing a minor. Brien worked in Riverview, Michigan from 1989-1994 and might have abused in his work region, St. Paul, MN region during from 1994-2001. He lived under limitations, performing internal admin duties for the Crosier Generalate in Rome from 1999-2007. Laster on, he was excused from the order on 8/5/2008. Living in Ohio from around March, 2014. On November 3, 2017, the name was added to the St. Paul-Minneapolis Archdiocese's list of "priests and religious brothers who have served or spent time in the archdiocese and have substantiated claims of sexual abuse of a minor against them." Additionally, inclusion on the Detroit Archdiocese's list occurred on June 10, 2019.
• Father Loren O'Dea Ordained in 1993 upon retirement from the social work profession. He was provided with the status of senior priest in 1997 and served as an associate pastor at Farmington's Our Lady of Sorrows. Later on, Loren O'Dea was removed in October 2012 without privileges following two abuse reports that were received shortly before his ordination. Charges found "substantive" by the review board of the archdiocese. The notification was  sheriff's office. Died on October 14, 2015, at 87 years old. Recorded as one of the solidly blamed by the archdiocese on June 10, 2020.
• Fr. Edward Theodore Olszewski Accused of sexually attacking his foster son when he was only 11 years of age, this case drew far-reaching attention. At first found guilty by a jury on December 18, 2002, the accused of indecent liberties of a minor stuck; however, he was considered innocent of the sodomy allegations. Thus, he was sentenced to three years of probation on January 30, 2003. Notwithstanding looking for another trial on Walk 13, 2003, his supplication was dismissed. Further confusing issues, a civil lawsuit was recorded in Florida on December 22, 2003, claiming abuse there. In any case, a critical turn happened on December 8, 2005, when the Michigan High Court reversed his conviction. The court referred to one side of a fair jury as being abused during the trial. Regardless of this inversion, the investigator chose not to seek a retrial, given that most of his sentence had been served. In the end, he was removed from the sex offender registries in both Michigan and Florida. Notwithstanding these legal turns of events, limitations on his ministry endured. Matters deteriorated when his name appeared on the Detroit archdiocese's list of credibly accused people on June 10, 2019, causing renewed attention to his disputable past.
• Fr. Thaddeus Ozog First publicly named as accused by the archdiocese in November 2018, Fr. Thaddeus Ozog confronted allegations of sexual abuse reported by a man when he was a minor; it was detailed three years sooner and again in 2018. The review board of the archdiocese considered the allegation dependable in 2018. He served in different parishes across Detroit, Birmingham, Waterford Municipality, Wayne, Level Stone, and Hamtramck; Ozog's jobs included teaching and acting as registrar, dean, and rector at Sacrosanct Heart Seminary between 1959 and 1975. He died in 1994 and was listed among the credibly accused by the archdiocese on June 10, 2019.
• Fr. Eduard Perrone Fr. Eduard Perrone filled in as a pastor at Supposition of the Favored Virgin Mary for a long time. Suspended on July 5, 2019, following an archdiocesan examination that found an allegation of sexual abuse against a boy from many years sooner had believability. Perrone denied these allegations. The allegations proposed that he would welcome church kids to a lake house, participating in activities like wrestling in the water, at times including improper contact. One more church youth took the stand after Perrone's suspension, charging that the priest had sexually misbehaved in 1981. However, the Vatican declined the case, and no further pursuit happened. Perrone helped to establish Creation Bono Sacerdotii in 2002, pointing toward supporting accused priests. Be that as it may, allegations surfaced from a lady whose father helped to establish the association, ensnaring Perrone in supposed abuse occurrences, including boys. She likewise guaranteed that Perrone gave her liquor in the rectory when she was only 12. Accordingly, Perrone sued her for criticism. Parishioners made a legal move against the archdiocese in February 2020, guaranteeing the manufacture of assault allegations against Perrone. A mediation board in July 2020 viewed Perrone as a casualty of maligning, granting him $125K. Furthermore, in September 2020, he recorded a lawsuit against Msgr. Michael Bugarin.
• Fr. Thomas R. Physician In a common suit documented in May 2004 by four men against four priests, allegations were made against Fr. Thomas R. Physician for abuse at Valuable Blood parish when the accuser was between the ages of 14 and 17 in the mid-1970s. Put on leave on January 3, 2004, after his retirement in 2002, the police researched, yet no charges were recorded. The Archdiocese recognized the seriousness and substance of the charges. Fr. Physician died on August 23, 2004, and was listed among the credibly accused by the Archdiocese on June 10, 2019.
• Fr. Ralph Quane Eliminated from his job as a medical clinic chaplain in May 2002 because of allegations of sexual abuse including a minor during the early long periods of his ministry, Fr. Ralph Quane was coordinated not to address himself as a priest or wear priestly clothing. The choice to laicize him was reported in May 2005, and his name showed up on the Archdiocese's list of the credibly accused on June 10, 2019.
• Minister Hurmiz Risko Ishak Initially from Iraq, Minister Hurmiz Risko Ishak filled in as an elder for a long time and was relegated to St. Joseph Chaldean in Troy. Nonetheless, in October 2018, he was captured and accused of sexually attacking a little fellow at chapel from May 2017 to October 2018. Consequently, Ishak was suspended and found guilty in September 2019, getting a base sentence of four years in jail.
• Fr. Austin Schlaefer Featured in a June 18, 2013, Capuchin review report as a departed minister with affirmed reports of sexually manhandling minors, Fr. Austin Schlaefer died on June 19, 1992, in Saginaw, MI. His tasks spread across Milwaukee, Detroit, and Chicago. The Saginaw diocese remembered his name for their list by August 9, 2019, and the Chicago archdiocese listed him as credibly accused in October 2022. The Illinois Attorney General's Report on May 23, 2023, additionally included his name.
• Fr. Gary Schulte Fr. Gary Schulte confronted expulsion without honors from his job at St. Sylvester's in Warren on October 29, 2011, following allegations of sexual misconduct including a 16-year-old boy in 1991. At the hour of the supposed abuse, Schulte was working at St. Vincent Ferrer Parish in Madison Levels. Albeit the archdiocese's review board found adequate legitimacy in the allegations, no crook accusations were documented because of the legal time limit. His name showed up on the Archdiocese's list on June 10, 2019, and he was for all time eliminated from public ministry.
• Fr. Wendelin Shafer Fr. Wendelin Shafer, sometimes known as "Leslie," was a missionary in Central America Vice Province for 52 years. He died on October 9, 2005, after retiring and returning to Wisconsin. He was identified as a deceased friar with confirmed accusations of sexually abusing minors in the June 18, 2013, Report of the Audit and Review of the Records of the Capuchin Territory of St. Joseph. The list didn't go into any greater detail about the claims leveled against him.
• Fr. Gerald Shirilla Accused of manhandling no less than seven young people somewhere in the range of 1972 and 1981, Fr. Gerald Shirilla confronted common suits and later moved to the Gaylord diocese. Put on leave in 2002, he died in June 2004. His name was remembered for the Detroit archdiocese's list of credibly accused on June 10, 2019, affirming his expulsion from public ministry.
• Fr. Jason E. Sigler Initially appointed for the Archdiocese of Winnipeg, Canada, Fr. Jason E. Sigler served in Detroit and Lansing dioceses from 1968. He went through treatment at Paracletes in New Mexico on numerous occasions during the 1960s-1970s yet confronted allegations of abuse even after his time there. In 1983, he conceded to child abuse, getting probation and guiding. Laicized in 1999, he was engaged with various allegations, settlements, and convictions in New Mexico and Michigan. Notwithstanding being released from jail and probation in 2012 and 2013, he lived separately in Albuquerque, New Mexico, starting around 2014. Sigler's name showed up on the New Mexico sex offender registry, and further lawsuits in 2014, 2016, and 2017 embroiled him in abuse episodes spreading over a very long while.
• Fr. Joseph Sito Fr. Joseph Sito's residency was damaged by a solid allegation of sexual misconduct with a minor during the 1960s. Despite the casualty reporting it to the Archdiocese in 1985, no action was taken until 1993, when Sito "resigned" following the casualty's rehashed reports. Notwithstanding, this retirement didn't forestall further issues as he was criminally charged in 1999 for attacking a 17-year-old youth. Sito confessed to a lesser allegation and was fined. Indeed, even after these occurrences, he proceeded to perform masses sometimes. At last, his laicization was declared in 2004. Sadly, he met his end in a fender bender beyond Detroit in 2016 and was remembered for the Archdiocese's list of credibly accused in 2019.
• Fr. Joseph Smetana Fr. Joseph Smetana's 31 years of administration in Nicaragua were eclipsed by being distinguished in the 2013 "Report of the Audit and Review of the Documents of the Capuchin Area of St. Joseph" for affirmed reports of sexual abuse of minors. While insights about these cases are scant, he was removed from public ministry and lives under management. The La Crosse diocese remembered him for their list in 2020, and he has been permanently removed from ministry.
• Fr. Gerald F. Smola Fr. Gerald F. Smola confronted an allegation after the death of the victims, claiming abuse during his residency at the College of Detroit Jesuit Secondary School during the 1950s. Regardless of joining the Jesuits in 1938, he was excused in 1969 following a solitary allegation. He was after death remembered for different lists, including the Detroit archdiocese's list of credibly accused and the 2023 IL Attorney General's Report.
• Fr. Robert Spader Fr. Robert Spader was distinguished in the 2013 report of the Capuchin Area of St. Joseph for affirmed reports of mishandling minors. Data on the cases against him is scant, and he left the request sooner or later after being ordained in 1964.
• Br. Francis Mary Sparacino Br. Francis Mary Sparacino, a designer for the Territory of St. Joseph, was additionally recognized in a similar 2013 report for affirmed reports of sexual abuse of minors. Despite residing under oversight in a nursing home from 2013 until his demise in 2015, no extra subtleties were given regarding the cases against him.
• Fr. Kenneth Stewart Fr. Kenneth Stewart, one more former friar, was affirmed to have reports of sexual abuse of minors without explicit subtleties in the 2013 review. He had been removed from ministry, put under oversight, and eventually left the order and was laicized. His name appeared on different diocese lists, including Chicago diocese (10/2022), and Saginaw diocese (8/9/2019), and he was remembered for the 5/23/2023 IL Attorney General's Report.
• Fr. Timothy J. Szott Fr. Timothy J. Szott's upset history included being put on leave in 2003 after child abuse pictures were tracked down on his PC. He confronted legal repercussions, was permanently removed from ministry in 2005, and confronted different lawsuits for abuse. He died in 2008 while being named on the archdiocese's list of credibly accused in 2019.
• Fr. Jan (John)Tyminski Fr. Jan (John)Tyminski, ordained in Poland, confronted allegations post mortem. The Archdiocese got an allegation more than ten years after his passing, trailed by a subsequent casualty venturing forward in 2019. The Review Board tracked the allegations as valid, prompting his consideration on the Archdiocese's list of credibly accused in 2019.
• Fr. Peter J. Van der Linden Fr. Peter J. Van der Linden confronted allegations tracing back to the early long periods of his ministry, which prompted his removal from ministry in 1993. Despite being on clinical leave, he continued seasonal work, just to be permanently removed in 2005. He died in 2007.
• Fr. Lawrence M. Ventline In 2016, an allegation of abuse surfaced against Ventline, provoking an examination by the Archdiocese of Detroit. The grievance was sent to the Oakland District examiner, and Ventline was confined from public ministry during a sanctioned review. On May 24, 2019, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel uncovered that Ventline confronted an administrative grumbling, bringing about the outline suspension of his permit as an expert educationally restricted instructor by the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA). The administrative grievance affirmed that Ventline had participated in the sexual abuse of an 11-year-old boy at three events in the congregation sacristy somewhere in the range of 1989 and 1990, during his residency as the pastor of St. Joseph the Laborer Parish in Lake Orion, MI. Ventline firmly denied these allegations, stating that he was the person in question and reported expectations to record a lawsuit against the Attorney General. Thus, on June 10, 2019, Ventline was remembered for the list of Ministry Credibly Accused of Abuse delivered by the Detroit archdiocese. The assertion featured his limitation from public ministry and underscored that he was precluded from addressing himself as a priest, wearing administrative clothing, or directing any type of chapel ministry. His guiding permit was renounced on September 6, 2019, after neglecting to document a conventional reaction to the objection, combined with a $5,000 fine. Further confusing issues, on September 30, 2019, news reports uncovered that Ventline had to deal with penalties of revolting openness in Terrible Hatchet, MI, before late spring. On January 23, 2020, Ventline entered a request of no challenge to the charge, a supplication that doesn't liken to a confirmation of culpability. The adjudicator reportedly depended on court reports to record a conviction and sentenced Ventline to ten days in jail, a sentence he professed to have served through nine days of local area administration. After a year, in her second-year update on October 5, 2020, the Michigan Attorney General summed up the Ventline case, referring to three separate reports of sexual abuse against minors. Albeit the legal time limit had terminated for each report, LARA made a move to deny Ventline's expert directing permit to keep him from legally guiding children. Ventline attests that he had retired from guiding before the administrative objection was documented on May 15, 2019.
• Fr. Gerald John Vesnaugh Vesnaugh's residency in the priesthood reached an unexpected conclusion in 1975 following allegations of child attack. His legal difficulties heightened in 1979, bringing about a conviction and a suspended sentence with two years of probation. Therefore, his law permit was suspended in 1980 and repudiated in 1982. One more arrangement of charges arose in 1981, where he confronted three counts of sexual attack, prompting a 5-to 15-year jail sentence, of which he served 2 1/2 years. Following his delivery, Vesnaugh moved to Oklahoma in 1996, where he offended once more, prompting his capture. He escaped to Canada, where he proceeded with his harmful way of behaving, bringing about another capture. In the long run, he was sentenced to three years in jail in 1996. He was added to the Detroit archdiocese's list of credibly accused people on June 10, 2019.
• Fr. Aloysius Volskis Initially from the Diocese of Telsiai, Lithuania, Volskis confronted an allegation in a March 2021 lawsuit. He was accused of sexually attacking an 8-year-old boy in 2010 at Cleric Kelley Catholic School in Lapeer, where the child was a second-grader. The supposed attack occurred during an "otherworldly development" meeting in the teacher's parlor, reportedly after Volskis administered pills that semi-quieted the boy. Following this occurrence, Volskis stopped active ministry at the parish in 2011 in the wake of confronting one more allegation of sexual attack, including a parishioner. He consequently went back to Europe. The lawsuit recommends that congregation authorities protect the priest in the congregation rectory before working with his takeoff from the country. The casualty approached the archdiocese around 2018.
• Fr. Harold A. Walsh Initially ordained in Ireland for the Redemptorists, Walsh's set of experiences incorporates allegations of abuse tracing back to the mid-1960s. In 1994, a lady accused him of mishandling her when she was 15 years of age, and he was doled out to Holy Redeemer parish. Walsh, nonetheless, gave proof that he was dwelling in an Irish religious community at the hour of the supposed occurrence. Consequently, in St. Paul, he confronted allegations of manhandling a boy, which he denied. The lady from the previous allegation got a settlement in 1996. Walsh retired from active ministry in 2005, and he was formally laicized on August 12, 2012. Until January 31, 2014, he showed sex education in the St. Paul region and was remembered for the reconsidered list given by St. Paul and Minneapolis on February 17, 2014.
• Fr. David F. West In December 2015, the Archdiocese revealed an upsetting disclosure of a solid allegation, including the sexual abuse of a male minor during the 1970s by Fr. David F. West, who died in 2004 at 65 years old. Amazingly, West had served in around 20 parishes during his residency. His name showed up on the Archdiocese's list of credibly accused people delivered on June 10, 2019.
• Fr. Ronald R. Williams A disturbing occurrence arose in June 2002, charging Fr. Ronald R. Williams of giving liquor to a male minor and endeavoring to commit sexual acts. In this way, analytical documents uncovered two additional men approaching to unveil their experiences with the examiner. Despite one charging comparable abuse at age 16 out of 1979 and another asserting caressing at age 17 of 1984, legal action couldn't be sought after because of the legal time limit. The Vatican permanently banished Williams from active ministry in a declaration made on April 20, 2007. He died on July 6, 2010, staying on the archdiocese's list of credibly accused people as of June 10, 2019.
• Fr. Robert Witkowski Fr. Robert Witkowski retired in 2013 yet confronted limitations from public ministry in October 2018 following trustworthy allegations of sexual abuse, including minors before his vocation. A lawsuit documented in New Jersey in December 2019 itemized allegations against Witkowski and Fire Up. Thomas Ganley, referring to the abuse of two boys at St. Cecilia's in Iselin, NJ, during the mid-1990s. Witkowski's passing happened on May 10, 2021, amid these allegations.
• Fr. James C. Wolf Fr. James C. Wolf became entangled in a civil suit alongside Fires up. Jim Buser and Storm Leifeld were accused of attacking an understudy during the 1970s at a Capuchin-run secondary school and a while later. The offended party, a guide for clergy-abused men, guaranteed treatment in 1992, divulged upsetting flashbacks. Notwithstanding, the case, attempted in 1995, was excused because of resolution constraints despite affirmations of abuse by two priests, including other boys. Wolf was listed among those with validated allegations on the Capuchin Friars' List dated August 19, 2021, referencing his retirement and ministry limitations from 2005. Furthermore, the Michigan Attorney General's report in October 2022 itemized Wolf's task in the Marquette diocese from 1963 to 1976. In 2008, a man reported to the Marquette diocese that Wolf had sexually abused him for more than two years during the 1970s when he was aged 11-12. Another 2011 report said that Wolf had abused the victim between 1971 and 1972 when the victim was 20 years old.
• Fr. James R. Wysocki Back in 2003, Fr. James R. Wysocki was put on leave by the archdiocese following a review of an old allegation in regard to sexual misconduct with a minor. From the outset, authorities needed adequate data to make a move; however, the allegation was subsequently viewed as "substantive." This occurrence said to have happened soon after Wysocki's 1967 appointment, was no less than 15 years of age. In 2004, a subsequent allegation surfaced, including abuse in the mid-1970s. The Vatican requested a congregation trial, at last bringing about Wysocki being permanently banned from public ministry in 2007.
• Fr. Robert Wyzgoski Fr. Robert Wyzgoski was removed in 2002, all the while assuming a pretense of retirement, yet the allegations of abuse waited. Accused of abusing adolescent girls; thinking back to the 1960s, worries from guardians about his way of behaving were raised as soon as 1973. Named in a civil suit in 2004, the Vatican maintained Cardinal Maida's choice in 2005 to remove Wyzgoski from pastoral obligations permanently. He died on December 30, 2006, and was subsequently remembered for the archdiocese's list of credibly accused people on June 10, 2019.
• Fr. Hilary Zach Fr. Hilary Zach was distinguished in the 6/18/2013 Report of the Audit and Review of the Documents of the Capuchin Territory of St. Joseph as a deceased friar with affirmed reports of sexual abuse including minors. Zach's name is on this list minus any additional subtleties on the cases against him. His set of experiences included spending quite a while as a teacher and fledgling expert at St. Lawrence Seminary prior to turning into an emergency clinic chaplain. He died on March 22, 1997.

Detroit Archdiocese Priest Sexual Abuse Lawsuits Are Not Class Action Lawsuits

Many adult survivors wonder if filing priest sexual abuse lawsuits in Michigan's Detroit Archdiocese will result in meaningful compensation for their family. Detroit Archdiocese priest sex abuse lawsuits will not be class action lawsuits in which those who file a claim can expect only a small, symbolic settlement. On the contrary, lawyers handling Detroit Archdiocese priest sexual abuse lawsuits believe persons and family members of persons who suffered sexual abuse by a priest or parish youth leader may be entitled to significant compensation.

Detroit Archdiocese Priest Sexual Abuse Lawsuits: No Fees Unless We Collect for You

We will represent all persons involved in Detroit Archdiocese priest sexual abuse lawsuits on a contingency basis, meaning our lawyers never charge legal fees unless we win compensation in your case. For a free no-obligation consultation please fill out our short online contact form and one of our attorneys handling priest sexual abuse lawsuits in Michigan's Detroit Archdiocese will contact you to answer any of your questions in a free and confidential consultation.

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Detroit Archdiocese Priest Sex Abuse Lawsuit FAQs

Attorneys Answer Common Detroit Archdiocese Clergy Sexual Abuse Lawsuit Questions

This page contains common Detroit Archdiocese priest sex abuse lawsuit questions and answers that apply to most claims. To discuss the particulars of your case in a confidential setting, contact our firm directly.

Our team of attorneys handling priest sexual abuse lawsuit claims for Michigan's Detroit Archdiocese provides free, no obligation case review. Once we hear from you, one of our experienced lawyers will contact you promptly to provide answers to your questions about filing a Detroit Archdiocese priest sex abuse lawsuit. Consultations are confidential, without obligation, and completely free of charge.

Who can file a priest sexual abuse lawsuit in Michigan's Detroit Archdiocese?

Any person or family member of a person who experienced priest sexual abuse in the Detroit Archdiocese of Michigan may be eligible to file a claim against the Detroit Archdiocese, the Michigan Catholic Church, or other responsible institution for its failure to protect youth in its care.

How much time do I have to file a Detroit Archdiocese priest sex abuse lawsuit in Michigan?

At this time, new legislation permits many adult survivors of priest sexual abuse in the Detroit Archdiocese to bring claims forward against priests, Catholic school teachers, camp leaders or other individuals serving the Catholic Church. No matter your age or how long ago the incident took place, you may qualify to file a Detroit Archdiocese priest sexual abuse lawsuit. For specific time limits for your claim, please fill out the form at right and one of our attorneys will contact you as quickly as possible, usually within the hour.

Does it cost anything for you to review my case?

We will always listen to your circumstances and give you our analysis of your case without any cost or further obligation.

What does it cost to file a priest sexual abuse lawsuit in Michigan's Detroit Archdiocese?

We are committed to representing all persons involved in a Detroit Archdiocese priest sex abuse lawsuit on a contingency basis, meaning there are never any legal fees unless we win compensation in your case. To access your free, no-obligation consultation, use the online chat feature or contact form on this site. One of our lawyers handling Detroit Archdiocese priest sexual abuse lawsuit claims will contact you to answer any of your questions.

Even if the abuse occurred long ago, many survivors of Detroit Archdiocese priest sexual abuse may now qualify to file for damages. Contact our attorneys to learn about your legal options.

Aren't these just class action lawsuits where the plaintiff receives very little money?

No. Our firm has reason to believe plaintiffs in Detroit Archdiocese priest sex abuse lawsuits may be entitled to significant compensation, though the exact figure depends on individual circumstances of each case. The Catholic Church in California allocated $1.2 billion for priest sexual abuse settlements in 2002. In 2007, one priest sexual abuse lawsuit against the Los Angeles Archdiocese resulted in awards of $1.3 million for each survivor.

We're not the type of people who sue; do we really need to file a lawsuit?

If you or a member of your family was sexually abused as a child or teen by a priest, youth leader, or Catholic school teacher in Michigan's Detroit Archdiocese, you have likely been dealing with the aftermath of this trauma in one way or another ever since. It is difficult to put a number on the cost of the suffering to a person's emotional health and development, yet we know the harm is considerable. No amount of money can undo the wrong, but we believe winning a priest sexual abuse lawsuit and the compensation that comes with it can help in the healing process in a variety of ways. It is our fervent hope that every Detroit Archdiocese priest sexual abuse lawsuit we file can serve to make the responsible persons and institutions take note of the trauma and pain that has resulted. When that fails to make a diocese or parish take action to protect the safety of children, we rely on financial pressure to push for meaningful change. In all too many Catholic dioceses, the fear of lawsuits and large settlements is what ultimately pushes the church to make changes to protect the children in its care.

Detroit Archdiocese Priest Sex Abuse Lawyers

Leading Attorneys for Clergy Sex Abuse Claims in Michigan's Detroit Archdiocese

The Detroit Archdiocese priest sexual abuse lawyers at The Onder Law Firm have a long track record of success in achieving justice on behalf of American families against large and powerful entities such as the Catholic church. As leading national personal injury attorneys, our clergy sexual abuse lawyers serving the Detroit Archdiocese have worked with countless families through the most difficult time in their lives. Our primary goal is to assist and support survivors as they take this brave step–bringing our considerable resources and expertise to fight on your behalf.

Even if the abuse occurred decades ago, you may be eligible for compensation under Michigan's new law. Contact our Detroit Archdiocese priest sex abuse attorneys for a free consultation.

If you are a survivor of priest sexual abuse in the Detroit Archdiocese of Michigan, we want you to know first and foremost that what happened to you was not your fault. It is our mission to seek justice on behalf of you and others like you, and to help you access the compensation you need and deserve. Our Detroit Archdiocese priest sex abuse attorneys believe persons and family members of persons who were sexually abused by clergy members may be eligible for real compensation for the resulting pain and suffering by filing a claim against the Detroit Archdiocese.

The State of Michigan has newly expanded rights for survivors of child sexual abuse to report incidents later in life. On average, survivors of child sexual abuse do not report the harm until the age of 52, often long after the statue of limitations has expired. The new laws for filing Michigan priest sex abuse lawsuits expand survivors' rights to report decades later. For too long, reporting priest sexual abuse has been connected with intense shame and stigma, and the Catholic Church has a long history of coverup, relocating priests to avoid scandal only to result in more abuse. That era is over, and many adult survivors are stepping up to file priest sex abuse lawsuits in Michigan's Detroit Archdiocese and others. Over 800 survivors made complaints to the Attorney General, and more than 450 priests have been accused of priest sexual abuse in Michigan's seven dioceses, including the Detroit Archdiocese.

Our attorneys handling priest sex abuse lawsuits for Michigan's Detroit Archdiocese are committed to holding the Catholic Church accountable for failing to protect the children in its care over decades--no matter how complex the case.

We believe that survivors must be in charge of decision-making when it comes to whether or not to file a Detroit Archdiocese priest sexual abuse lawsuit. Some survivors say it is cathartic to finally report harmful incidents in their past and seek justice through legal action. When large numbers of survivors speak out and demand accountability from Michigan's Detroit Archdiocese, it sends a strong message that this type of abuse will not be tolerated in the Detroit Archdiocese ever again.

If you would like to learn more about filing a claim with our priest sexual abuse attorney team serving the Detroit Archdiocese of Michigan, contact our firm for a free consultation. The Onder Law Firm's priest sexual abuse attorneys for Detroit Archdiocese claims provide experienced legal representation without fee unless they collect for their clients.

No Fees Unless We Collect for You - Our Detroit Archdiocese Clergy Sex Abuse Lawyers Represent Clients on a Contingency Basis

We will represent all persons involved in a Detroit Archdiocese priest sexual abuse lawsuit on a contingency basis, meaning there are never any legal fees unless we win compensation in your case. Anyone who suffered from priest sexual abuse--or is a family member of such a person--is eligible to receive a free, no-obligation case review from our attorneys. Simply contact our firm through the online contact form or the chat feature and one of our Michigan Catholic clergy lawyers serving the Detroit Archdiocese will contact you promptly to discuss your case.

The Onder Law Firm

OnderLaw, LLC is a St. Louis personal injury law firm handling serious injury and death claims across the country. Its mission is the pursuit of justice, no matter how complex the case or strenuous the effort. The Onder Law Firm has represented clients throughout the United States in pharmaceutical and medical device litigation such as Pradaxa, Lexapro and Yasmin/Yaz, where the firm's attorneys held significant leadership roles in the litigation, as well as Actos, DePuy, Risperdal and others, and other law firms throughout the nation often seek its experience and expertise on complex litigation. For more information, visit www.OnderLaw.com or call 1-877-ONDER-LAW.