Roseville Clergy Abuse Lawyer

Clergy abuse is, unfortunately, more common than you may realize. It is a situation where you may feel like you may not be able to take legal action because it is a church. However, with a Roseville clergy abuse lawyer on your side, you can take the appropriate action, and it does not have to be as hard as you think.

Dealing with this type of situation, especially with someone you thought you could trust, can cause a whirlwind of emotions. A Roseville sexual abuse lawyer can guide you through this difficult case. With the right support, you can better handle filing the proper claim and potential lawsuit.

White Law PLLC has decades of experience helping survivors secure the justice they deserve. Let us put that experience to work for you.

Legal Rights You Should Know About for Clergy Abuse

As a victim of clergy abuse, you may feel powerless and not sure how to move forward in your situation. You have the right to report the abuse to law enforcement. This is your legal right and a necessary move to seek justice.

When you report the abuse, you can potentially ensure that the individual is held accountable for their actions. It can feel scary, but by moving forward with legal action against the abuser, you are creating a safer environment. Seeking justice can bring you a sense of validation and closure for yourself as well.

In Michigan, you can go after potential compensation for damages like therapy costs, medical expenses, and emotional trauma. Michigan law recognizes how sensitive this type of case is, so you will have legal protection for your safety throughout the process.

Depending on your situation, you could be eligible for confidentiality measures to protect your identity as you go through the legal proceedings. Contact our Roseville personal injury lawyers to learn more.

The Church’s Responsibility Toward a Victim

A church has a moral and legal responsibility to address a clergy abuse situation and support the victim fully. They will need to provide immediate therapy to the victim to help them recover from the trauma.

The church will need to make sure that the victim can start to feel safe again in the community and offer ongoing support and communication.

The church has a legal obligation to hold an abuser accountable through internal and legal actions. They must immediately take the allegation to law enforcement and cooperate with any Lawyer General Catholic church clergy abuse investigations. The church has no choice but to remove the abuser from their position and move forward with strict disciplinary measures.

The church has an important responsibility to address clergy abuse through transparency. This could include a clear reporting process, ensuring independent oversight to avoid any conflict of interest, and publicly outlining how investigations happen during an allegation.

The church will also need to implement mandatory abuse prevention policies, which include regular training for staff and clergy so they know the common signs of clergy abuse, reporting protocols, and background checks.

Common Types of Clergy Abuse to Be Aware Of

Clergy abuse covers several types of misconduct that exploits the authority and trust of religious leaders. It is helpful to understand various forms of clergy abuse so you can recognize and report the behavior. Some of the most common types of clergy abuse are the following:

• Emotional abuse: Using faith to control, shame, or even manipulating or gaslighting a victim
• Sexual abuse: This may include an inappropriate touch, sexual assault, or coercion into a sexual act.
• Spiritual abuse: Intimidating or manipulating an individual as a way to misuse religious authority
• Financial exploitation: Taking advantage of someone’s trust for the goal of achieving financial gain
• Physical abuse: This may include physical punishment, hitting, or another form of bodily harm

You should know that you have the right to report any of these types of abuse. Even if you see someone else enduring the abuse, you can speak up to the authorities on their behalf. Awareness of clergy abuse survivors and the road to recovery is critical.

How to File a Lawsuit Against the Clergy Abuser

It can take some time to move forward with a lawsuit after experiencing such trauma. When you feel ready, there are some important steps to take to file a lawsuit properly. Some of the steps, in order, are the following:

• Contact a clergy abuse attorney in Roseville, MI
• Put together all of your evidence and include any documents, witnesses, or other records
• Identify the defendant; for example, if it’s the individual or also the church
• File a complaint with your attorney that you will bring to civil court
• Actively participate in legal proceedings

Once you file your lawsuit, the legal process begins, which could include a pre-trial motion, mediation, or a court trial. A settlement is common in these types of cases but not guaranteed. If no agreement is made, the trial can continue until you resolve.

How to Know if You Should File a Lawsuit Against an Individual or the Church, Too

As you try to determine whether to file a lawsuit against an individual or the entire church, the outcome will depend on the specifics of your case. If the abuse solely came from the individual without negligence or enabling by the church, your lawsuit should focus only on the abuser.

Remember, though, that if the church failed to protect you in any way, such as ignoring warning signs or enabling the abuse through negligence, it could also be held responsible.

To decide whether the church should be included, consider whether it had policies in place to prevent abuse and if the measures were followed strictly.

Examples of negligence could include failing to perform a background check, reassigning the abuser to a new position where they could harm another person, or ignoring your complaints. When you work with a lawyer, they can help pinpoint any negligence on the church’s part to figure out if you should include them.

If you end up filing a lawsuit against the individual and church, it can increase your chances of getting compensation and keeping them accountable.

The church could potentially be liable for damages if they played any part at all in the abuse. Your clergy abuse lawyer in Roseville, MI, can help make sure all responsible parties are held accountable.

Let a Roseville Clergy Abuse Attorney Guide You

Finding your way to feeling some sort of justice can feel like a goal that is out of reach. With White Law PLLC on your side, you can take the steps recommended so there is less for you to figure out on your own. 

Contact us to start with your free, private consultation.