List of Accused Priests in Michigan
Clergy abuse within the various Michigan Dioceses is has an unfortunate and long history. The Catholic Church has many instances of clergy members sexually assaulting members of the church, but a lot of people don’t come forward. Many don’t report abuse until many years later, and when they’re ready, Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers is ready to be your trusted ally. Whether the abuse occurred in Detroit, Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids, or anywhere else, we’ll help fight for your rights and bring your abuser responsible to justice.
Last Name | First Name | Diocese | Status | Accusations (Summary) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Adams | Benedict | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Accused | A Capuchin friar with confirmed reports of sexual abuse of minors died in 2002. He worked at St. Anthony Retreat Center in Marathon. |
Ament | Roman | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Accused | Named publicly as accused by the St. Joseph Province Capuchins on its list in 1/2019 of friars with “confirmed allegations of sexual abuse of minors or vulnerable adults.” Ament died in 1984. |
Benjamin | Harry S. | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Convicted | After allegations of abuse, a 14-year-old boy was removed from ministry and the priest admitted the abuse in a resignation letter. He was sentenced to one year in prison. |
Berthiaume | Gary D. | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Convicted | Berthiaume was convicted of the abuse of two boys in 1978, served six months in jail, and was allowed to work as a hospital chaplain by Bishop Imesch until 2002. In 1977, a priest was charged with sexual assault of a boy, age 14. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 20 months to 15 years in prison. |
Baker | Joseph | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Convicted | A pastor was removed from his job after allegations of sexual abuse were made against him. He was convicted and sentenced to 3-15 years in prison. |
Biondo | Gael N. | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Settled | In 1996, the Archdiocese and Order settled a civil suit filed by a woman claiming she was sexually abused by Biondo 1964-1972. Biondo denied the accusations. |
Bjorklund | Brian | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Accused | Navy chaplain who was removed from active ministry in 2003 after allegations of sexual abuse was reinstated in 2004 after the Vatican ruled that the alleged action did not constitute a crime. |
Borycz | Edmund S. | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Accused | Priest accused of sexually abusing five youths between 1963 and 1987. Placed on permanent inactive status with no privileges by the Vatican in 2006, died 1/8/2018. |
Brennan | William B. | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Accused | Placed on leave in 2003 after allegations of sexual misconduct, permanently removed from public ministry by Vatican in 2005. |
Bueche | Gary | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Settled | After being accused of sexual abuse, Bueche was removed from parish work and named as a co-conspirator in a civil case. He was permanently removed from public ministry. |
Cain | Thomas J. | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Accused | Cain was accused decades after his death of having sexually abused minors. The Archdiocese found the allegations to be credible. |
Burkholder | Robert N. | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Convicted | Called one of Michigan’s worst pedophiles, abused at least 23 boys, removed in 1993, sentenced to 30 days jail and five years probation, permanently removed without privileges in 2005, died in 2006, and included on Detroit archdiocese’s list 6/10/2019. |
Cooney | Arthur | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Accused | Cooney’s name is included on the Saginaw diocese’s list of sexual abusers without any additional information on claims against him. |
Cops | Augustine | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Accused | Cops was named publicly as the subject of substantiated allegations by the St. Joseph Province Capuchins in 10/2020 and by the Chicago archdiocese in 10/2022. |
Conti | Anthony J. | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Sued | Previously known as Anthony Helinski, he was removed from ministry in 2002 after allegations of sexual misconduct with a boy under 18 more than 20 years previously. |
D’Angelo | Patrick J. | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Accused | D’Angelo was removed from publicly ministry in 1998 after his “situation” was previously handled under the archdiocese’s policy. |
Daly | Michael J. | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Accused | Daly was permanently barred from public ministry in 2005 because of past allegations of sexual abuse. He died on 1/30/2012 at age 63. |
Dalton | Frank Luke | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Accused | A man testified that Dalton abused him at Brother Rice High School in Bloomfield Hills MI about 40 years prior, when he was a student and Dalton was principal. Dalton was transferred to CA after admitting that he’d had a “wet dream” about the boy. |
Campos | Luis Javier de Alba | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Acquitted | De Alba Campos was accused of fondling a 7-year-old boy and arraigned on two counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct. He was acquitted by jury trial but still barred from duties while archdiocese continued internal investigation. |
Depp | Harold Charles | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Convicted | Depp walked away from his parish in 1963 and never returned, and was convicted of child sexual abuse in 1982. He was arrested in 2003 on charges of abusing an 11-year-old boy in 1971. |
Duggan | Dennis D. | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Accused | He was removed from parish in 2002 after credible allegation of abuse. He admitted alcohol abuse but denied abuse. |
Edwards | Lawrence A. | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Sued | A man accused Lawrence of molesting him as a boy, ages 10-12, at St. Mary’s in Milford. |
Ellinghausen | Jude T. | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Sued | Ellinghausen retired with restricted ministry in 2002 because of old allegations found in his personnel file. A male complainant came forward to allege abuse in 2005. |
Fares | Lawrence T. | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Accused | A priest from Kobayath, Akkar, Lebanon was removed from ministry in 1/2021, at age 96, after credible allegations of child sex abuse dating to early in his priesthood. |
Femminineo | Joseph P. | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Accused | Femminineo was permanently barred from public ministry in 2005 after old allegations of sexual misconduct involving minors surfaced. |
Heinlein | Egbert | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Accused | Named publicly as credibly accused by the Detroit archdiocese on its list in 2023. Heinlein died in 1999. |
Gleissner | Leopold | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Accused | A friar with confirmed reports of sexual abuse of minors was removed from public ministry and placed under supervision. |
Foisy | Leonard R. | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Sued | Foisy’s education and career took him to New York, Montreal, Washington DC, Maryland and Michigan. He was accused of abusing a boy over four years in the 1960s in Michigan. |
Grandpre | Louis E. | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Accused | Retired as pastor of St. Paul of Tarsus in Clinton Township in 2003, but was removed from all public ministry in 2013 after allegations of sexual misconduct with a minor. |
Haener | Robert W. | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Accused | Several priests were accused of abusing boys at two parishes and two Catholic schools in the 1960s and early 1970s. None of them were ever prosecuted. |
Hajduk | Kent | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Accused | Hajduk was named publicly by the Province of St. John the Baptist Franciscans for child sexual abuse in 1/2021. |
Grosser | Clarence (Rudolph) | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Accused | Born in Czechoslovakia, Grosser grew up in WI, and taught at Mt. Calvary minor seminary, Yonkers, Brooklyn, and Manhattan, NY. He was assigned to friaries in Hudson NH and Garrison NY, and semi-retired in 1974 to the Milton MA novitiate. |
Hillebrand | Albert | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Accused | Ordained for the Augustinian Order, principal of Austin Catholic Prep High School in Detroit, named publicly as credibly accused by the Detroit archdiocese. |
Kalina | Neil | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Convicted | In the mid-1980s, Kalina fondled a 12-year-old boy after plying him with alcohol, cocaine and marijuana during sleepovers in the rectory of St. Kieran in Utica. He was convicted in 1985 on drug offenses and sentenced to six months in jail and two years’ probation. |
Johnston | Thomas J. | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Sued | A church secretary sued Johnston in 2000, saying her work contract wasn’t renewed because her teenage son had rebuffed the priest’s sexual advances. Johnston admitted inappropriate sexual behavior and language, but denied any sexual contact. |
Karey | Arthur Michael | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Accused | Karey was a monsignor who worked in Detroit, Ecorse and Orion. He died in 1993. |
Jr. | C. Richard Kelly, | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Sued | Placed on leave 2/2004 after archdiocese investigated allegations that he sexually abused a minor boy about 30 years prior. Sued 5/2004 and permanently removed from public ministry in 2005. |
Kaucheck | Kenneth | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Accused | A woman contacted the Archdiocese of Detroit in 2009 and accused Kaucheck of sexual misconduct with her in 1976. Kaucheck was placed on leave effective 4/23/2009 and resigned from his positions as pastor of St. Mary’s in Royal Oak and St. James’ in Ferndale. |
Kurcz | John Baptist | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Accused | John Baptist/Donald Kurcz is listed as a former friar with confirmed reports of sexual abuse of minors, but no additional information is available. |
Kulwicki | Theresa Marie | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Accused | Patricia Kulwicki, a Felician nun, was accused of sexually abusing a student for ten years, beginning when she was 14. Kulwicki denied the allegations and was allowed to continue teaching at the school until her death. |
Laesch | Dennis | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Settled | In 1997, a seminary student reported unwanted propositions and violence. The archdiocese paid a $125K settlement. |
Lauinger | Richard | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Accused | The archdiocese announced credible allegations that Lauinger sexually abused minors while in ministry, and several victims had come forward since 1/2016. Lauinger was laicized in 2019. |
Lezuchowski | Walter J. | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Accused | Lezuchowski was banned from parish ministry in 1991 after credible allegations of sexual abuse. He was permanently banned from ministry in 2005. |
Malawy | Michael D. | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Accused | Removed from ministry in 2004 after allegations of sexual misconduct in his early years of ministry. Permanently removed him from public ministry by the Vatican in 6/2006. Died 7/24/2015. Included on the diocese’s list of credibly accused 6/10/2019. |
Martell | Dennis L. | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Accused | Included in the archdiocese’s 9/2002 Status Report, laicized, and listed as absent on leave from 1993 to 1994. |
Maxwell | Bruce C. | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Accused | Navy chaplain who worked in California, Bahrain, Florida, Japan and North Carolina. Removed in 2002 for abuse of a minor and sent to the Crosier Community in Phoenix with no ministry. |
McLaughlin | Patrick L. | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Accused | McLaughlin was named publicly as accused by the Jesuits Midwest Province on 12/17/2018, and was included in the IL Attorney General’s Report in 2023. |
Migan | Matthew | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Accused | Migan was identified as a deceased friar with confirmed reports of the sexual abuse of minors, but no additional information was provided. |
Miller | Alfred J. | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Sued | Allowed to officially retire in 2002 after allegations of sexual misconduct with older male children. Permanently removed from public ministry by the Vatican in 2005. |
Moeglein | James | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Accused | Moeglein was one of eight Crosiers barred from public ministry and living under restriction after allegations of sexual misconduct. He died in 2023 and was listed as credibly accused by the Diocese of St. Cloud and the Detroit Archdiocese. |
Mullen | Frank | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Accused | Deacon at Most Holy Trinity Parish and teacher at Holy Redeemer Parish Elementary School, laicized after abuse complaint. |
Murray | Timothy J. | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Guilty plea | Placed on administrative leave without privileges in 2004 for sexual misconduct with a boy, permanently removed from public ministry in 2009, and sentenced to 15 years in prison in 2014. |
O’Brien | Thomas | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Accused | Limited interaction with minors as of 1989, removed from public ministry 10/4/2002 for abuse of a minor, dismissed from the Order 8/5/2008, listed on the St. Paul-Minneapolis Archdiocese’s list 11/3/2017, listed on the Detroit Archdiocese’s list 6/10/2019. |
Nawrocki | Lawrence | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Convicted | A woman complained to a regional bishop in 1981 that Nawrocki had abused her 7th grade son. He was convicted of abuse of three boys in 1987 and sentenced to 4-15 years in prison. |
O’Dea | Loren | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Accused | Ordained in 1993 after retiring from a career in social work, given senior priest status in 1997, removed without privileges in 2012, and died in 2015, age 87. |
Olszewski | Edward Theodore | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Convicted | Accused of sodomizing his foster son, found guilty of indecent liberties with a minor, but innocent of sodomy charges. Conviction reversed by MI Supreme Court, but ministry continued to be restricted. |
Ozog | Thaddeus | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Accused | A man reported sexual abuse as a minor by Ozog, and the archdiocese deemed the allegation credible in 2018. Ozog died in 1994. |
Perrone | Eduard | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Accused | Pastor for 25 years at Assumption of the BVM, suspended 7/5/2019 after the Archdiocese found an allegation of sexual abuse of a boy decades prior had “a semblance of truth”. Denied the allegation, and sued a woman for defamation. |
Physician | Thomas R. | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Sued | A man filed a civil suit against four priests in 2004 for allegedly abusing him from age 14 to 17 in the early 1970s. No charges were filed. |
Quane | Ralph | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Accused | A hospital chaplain was removed from his assignment in 2002 due to allegations that he sexually abused a minor. |
Ishak | Hurmiz Risko | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Convicted | Deacon from Iraq was arrested and found guilty of sexually assaulting a young boy at church. |
Schlaefer | Austin | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Accused | Identified in a Capuchin audit report as having sexually abused minors, and listed on the Chicago archdiocese’s list of credibly accused. |
Schulte | Gary | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Accused | Schulte was removed without privileges from assignment at St. Sylvester’s in Warren after allegations of sexual misconduct with a 16-year-old boy in 1991. |
Shafer | Wendelin | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Accused | Leslie Shafer was a missioner in Central America for 52 years and was identified as a deceased friar with confirmed reports of the sexual abuse of minors. |
Shirilla | Gerald | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Sued | A priest was removed from a seminary assignment in 1973 after unwanted sexual contact with another seminarian. He was accused of sexually abusing at least seven youths from 1972-1981 and was placed on leave in 1993. |
Sigler | Jason E. | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Convicted | Ordained for the Archdiocese of Winnipeg, Canada, worked in Detroit and Lansing dioceses from 1968, was sent to Paracletes in NM for treatment multiple times in the 1960s-1970s, abused again, pleaded guilty in 1983 to abuse of a child, got probation and counseling, laicized in 1999, and is still living in Albuquerque. |
Sito | Joseph | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Guilty plea | Sito resigned in 1993 after a credible allegation of sexual misconduct with a minor in the 1960s. He was banned from public ministry after treatment at two facilities and pleaded guilty to a lesser charge. |
Smetana | Joseph | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Accused | Smetana spent 31 years as a priest in Nicaragua, and was identified as a current friar with confirmed reports of the sexual abuse of minors. He was removed from public ministry, living under supervision. |
Spader | Robert | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Accused | Spader was identified as a former friar with confirmed reports of the sexual abuse of minors. He left the order at some point. |
Smola | Gerald F. | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Accused | Smola was named publicly as accused by the Jesuits Midwest Province on its list 12/17/2018. He was dismissed 11/14/1969. |
Stewart | Kenneth | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Accused | Stewart was identified as a former friar with confirmed reports of the sexual abuse of minors. He was removed from ministry and placed under supervision, and was laicized at some point. |
Sparacino | Francis Mary | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Accused | Sparacino’s name is included on this list without any additional information on claims against him. He died in 2015 and was under supervision in a nursing home. |
Szott | Timothy J. | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Convicted | Placed on leave in 2/2003 after a church volunteer found child abuse images on his computer. Sentenced to 18 months probation in 9/2003, permanently removed from ministry in 2005, sued again in 4/2008, died in 8/2008. |
(John)Tyminski | Jan | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Accused | Tyminski was named publicly by the Archdiocese as accused in 5/2019. A second victim came forward in early 2019. |
Linden | Peter J. Van der | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Accused | Publicly named as accused by the Archdiocese in 2002, and permanently removed from ministry in 2005. |
Ventline | Lawrence M. | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Ministry restricted by diocese | On 5/24/2019, Michigan AG Dana Nessel announced that Ventline had been charged with sexually assaulting an 11-year-old boy in the church sacristy. Ventline denied the allegations and stated that a lawsuit would be filed. Ventline was included on a list of clergy credibly accused of abuse, was fined $5,000, and was prohibited from representing himself as a priest. Ventline was charged with indecent exposure in Bad Axe MI and was sentenced to ten days in jail. He completed nine days of community service instead. The Michigan AG summarized the Ventline case in her second year update: Ventline faced three separate reports of sexual abuse of a minor. His license was revoked on 5/15/2019. |
Vesnaugh | Gerald John | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Convicted | Forced from the priesthood in 1975 after molesting children, convicted in 1979, served 2 1/2 years, released from prison, offended, moved to OK, offended again, fled to Canada, sentenced to three years prison. |
Volskis | Aloysius | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Sued | A second-grader came forward to the archdiocese in 2018 after being molested and raped by a priest at Bishop Kelley Catholic School in Lapeer. The priest was sheltered in the church rectory and helped leave the country in 2013. |
Williams | Ronald R. | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Accused | Williams was accused of getting a male minor drunk and performing oral sex on the boy. Two other men came forward but no charges were filed due to the statute of limitations. |
Walsh | Harold A. | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Settled | Walsh was ordained in Ireland for the Redemptorists, worked in Davenport, Detroit, Chicago and St. Paul and was accused of abusing a girl when she was 15. He denied the allegation and left active ministry in 2005. |
West | David F. | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Accused | The Archdiocese announced in 2015 that West had been credibly accused of sexual abuse of a male minor. |
Witkowski | Robert | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Sued | Witkowski was retired in 2013 and restricted from public ministry in 2018 due to credible allegations that he sexually abused minors. |
Wolf | James C. | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Sued | Wolf was accused of sexually abusing a student in the 1970s at a Capuchin run high school and after graduation. The case was tried in 1995, but the jury decided it was not filed within the statute of limitations. |
Wysocki | James R. | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Accused | Wysocki was placed on leave in 2003 after an old allegation of sexual misconduct was deemed “substantive”. A second allegation of abuse of teenage youth was made in 2004. |
Wyzgoski | Robert | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Sued | Wyzgoski was accused of abuse of teenage girls in the 1960s and was permanently removed from pastoral duties in 2005. |
Zach | Hilary | Archdiocese of Detroit MI | Accused | Zach was identified as a deceased friar with confirmed reports of sexual abuse of minors, but no additional information on claims against him is available. |
Barrett | Patrick J. | Diocese of Gaylord MI | Accused | Barrett was placed on leave in 2002 after a complaint that he molested a girl 30 years prior. He was also alleged to have abused the accuser’s four sisters. |
Derylo | Walter William | Diocese of Gaylord MI | Accused | A woman told the Diocese that Derylo touched her daughter when she was 5 or 6, and that the incident occurred while he was putting her pajamas on. |
Gardiner | James Kemp | Diocese of Gaylord MI | Accused | The Diocese received reports that Gardiner had engaged in unwanted sexual touching with a man in 1996 and in 2015, and deemed the allegations against Gardiner not credible. Gardiner’s ministry was restricted in 1/24. |
Gronowski | Ronald Vincent | Diocese of Gaylord MI | Settled | Gronowski was ordained for the Diocese of Saginaw, transferred to the Diocese of Honolulu in 1993, resigned in 2002, and was sent to treatment after being accused of sexual misconduct with a teenage boy over several years in the 1970s. In the late 1960s, there were three known allegations of sexual abuse of minors and two young men. |
Harnish | Lionel A. | Diocese of Gaylord MI | Accused | Harnish was named publicly as accused on the diocese’s list 11/10/2018. He was removed from ministry in 1986 and died in 2011. |
Hegener | Wilbert (Norbert) | Diocese of Gaylord MI | Accused | Hegener’s name was quietly added to the Diocese of Gaylord’s list of those credibly accused of child sexual abuse in late 2021. Hegener was a member of the Franciscans’ Sacred Heart Province. |
Holtz | James A. | Diocese of Gaylord MI | Accused | Holtz resigned from his position as adjutant judicial vicar after receiving treatment for alcohol abuse in the mid-1980s. Holtz was accused of abusing a boy in 1983 or 1984, and two other boys may have been abused. |
Karl | Francis | Diocese of Gaylord MI | Accused | Karl allegedly drugged and abused an altar boy, age 13, in the late 1970s. The boy told his mother, who did not want to report it. |
Marciulionis | Benedict J. | Diocese of Gaylord MI | Accused | A woman told the Diocese that Marciuilonis molested her in the early 1980s, when she was in fifth through eighth grades. He was removed from ministry in 1981 and died in 2000. |
Medlin | Bryan W. | Diocese of Gaylord MI | Accused | Medlin was placed on leave pending the civil and diocesan investigations, and was laicized in 3/2023. The MI Attorney General’s office found that Medlin had sent inappropriate texts to teens and young men, but would not file criminal charges. |
Olschausken | Leo | Diocese of Gaylord MI | Accused | From Lithuania, Olschausken arrived in Chicago in 1958, was assigned to St. Michael’s Lithuanian Church in Chicago, then chaplain at Mercy Hospital in Cadillac, MI, from 1961-1974, and was named publicly as accused on the Diocese of Gaylord’s list 11/10/2018. |
Pilarski | Raymond John | Diocese of Gaylord MI | Accused | Pilarski was ordained for the Saginaw diocese, but was permanently removed from ministry in 2006 due to allegations of abuse. He died in 2017, and his name was included in the MI Attorney General’s 1/8/2024 Gaylord report. |
Raymond | Terrence Andrew | Diocese of Gaylord MI | Accused | Saginaw-born priest first named publicly as accused by the Gaylord diocese in 2018 and by the Saginaw diocese in 2019 after multiple allegations of sexual abuse of girls as young as age 6. |
Rhode | Laurus R. | Diocese of Gaylord MI | Accused | Laurus was accused of inappropriate hugging and kissing and fondling girls as young as age 6. He was removed from the diocese and returned to his Order in 1993. |
Smith | Robert Gordon | Diocese of Gaylord MI | Accused | Smith was ordained for the Diocese of Gaylord and became a Saginaw diocese priest in 1971. He was first named publicly as accused by the Gaylord diocese on 11/10/2018 and died 6/24/1980. |
Trapp | Richard R. | Diocese of Gaylord MI | Accused | Bishop Cooney restored Trapp to ministry after two months, but Trapp died in 2013. |
Tupper | John | Diocese of Gaylord MI | Settled | Tupper was accused of sexual misconduct toward an adult woman in 1994, and of trying to rape a girl, age 15 or 16, in around 1969. He was also accused of abusing a teenage boy and being in “negative situations” with two adult women. |
Alvesteffer | Eugene F. | Diocese of Grand Rapids MI | Accused | The Diocese revealed in 5/2002 that Alvesteffer had a substantiated allegation against him of abuse which occurred while he was assigned in Ludington in the 1970s. Died 1/18/1998. |
Aerts | Daniel C. | Diocese of Grand Rapids MI | Accused | Aerts admitted to sexual misconduct with a teen in 1979 and resigned from his position in 2002. |
Antekeier | Charles | Diocese of Grand Rapids MI | Accused | A pastor was accused of sexually abusing a minor and a prepubescent altar boy. The alleged victim’s father said the abuse caused his son to become an alcoholic by age 14 and to spend time in prison. |
Baudone | Louis | Diocese of Grand Rapids MI | Accused | Baudone was accused of molested two children in 1981 and retired from his duties in 1993. |
Beas | Shamaun | Diocese of Grand Rapids MI | Convicted | Pakistani priest was arrested for soliciting sex over the internet from a 14-year-old girl. He was sentenced to 5-20 years in prison and was later sentenced to 1 year for abuse of a girl. |
Bur | Stanislaus | Diocese of Grand Rapids MI | Accused | Accused of molesting an altar boy in 1958, Bur was removed from active ministry and given a life of prayer and penance. |
Bryce | Vincent W. | Diocese of Grand Rapids MI | Accused | A man accused Bryce of abusing him as a boy in about 1977. Bryce admitted to the abuse, which occurred in another (unspecified) state, and was removed from his assignment and returned to the Order’s headquarters. |
Hartwig | Lawrence N. | Diocese of Grand Rapids MI | Accused | The Grand Rapids Diocese substantiated allegations against Hartwig and seven other priests in 2002. Hartwig was named in single allegation of abuse occurring in Muskegon in 1982. |
Heydens | Donald J. | Diocese of Grand Rapids MI | Settled | The Diocese substantiated allegations that Heydens sexually abused four teenage girls in the early 1970s. He was removed from all ministry in 2002. |
Host | Richard J. | Diocese of Grand Rapids MI | Sued | A woman accused Host and her ex-husband of molesting her boys over a two-year period. |
Kenshol | Joseph W. | Diocese of Grand Rapids MI | Settled | Accused of giving adolescent boys full body oil massages in the rectory of Sacred Heart Parish. Claims were later settled for undisclosed amount. |
LeBlanc | David E. | Diocese of Grand Rapids MI | Accused | LeBlanc resigned from his parish in 2007 after admitting to Bishop Hurley that he had abused a pre-teen boy in 1971. A man stated publicly that LeBlanc molested him in 1999. |
Langlois | William A. | Diocese of Grand Rapids MI | Accused | Langlois was pastor of St. Patrick-St. Anthony Parish from 1996 until retirement in 2016 and admitted to an inappropriate relationship with a woman. He was removed from ministry in 2021 due to an allegation of sexual abuse. |
McKenna | Michael | Diocese of Grand Rapids MI | Accused | Bishop was permanently removed from ministry in 2006 after allegations of abuse. Additional allegations of abuse became public in 2008. |
Wagner | Dennis A. | Diocese of Grand Rapids MI | Convicted | Wagner pled guilty to assault and battery of a 13-year-old boy in 1983 and was given two years probation and counseling. He agreed to ask for laicization in 2002. |
Fritz | Richard A. | Diocese of Kalamazoo MI | Accused | In 2019 the Attorney General investigated allegations that Fritz sexually abused a girl, ages 13-17, in the late 1970s-early 1980s, but Fritz was kept in ministry. In 2020 the Diocese announced that it had received credible allegations of sexual abuse against Fritz. |
Heyman | Jerome M. | Diocese of Kalamazoo MI | Accused | Named publicly as accused by the MI Attorney General in its Diocese of Kalamazoo report 5/22/2024, Heyman was accused of making unwanted sexual advances toward women and a 12-year-old granddaughter. He resigned from the diocese in 2005 and underwent counseling in 2011. |
Lapine | Thomas G. | Diocese of Kalamazoo MI | Accused | Lapine worked 1944-1964 in OR at Columbia Preparatory School and the University of Portland, and was a hospital chaplain in various places from 1964-1984. He died in 1994. |
Otto | David C. | Diocese of Kalamazoo MI | Accused | Otto was named publicly as accused in the 5/22/2024 MI Attorney General’s Kalamazoo report, but denied abusing children. He died 8/27/2019. |
Pamment | Gary William | Diocese of Kalamazoo MI | Accused | Pamment was named publicly as accused of sexually abusing a nine-year-old boy in the MI Attorney General’s 5/22/24 Kalamazoo report. The Review Board determined in 2015 that there was not enough evidence to find the allegation credible. |
Stanley | Brian L. | Diocese of Kalamazoo MI | Guilty plea | In 2019 the MI Attorney General announced charges against Stanley of false imprisonment. He was sentenced to 60 days in jail, five years probation and to register as a sex offender for 15 years, after three other victims had come forward. |
Vellian | Jacob | Diocese of Kalamazoo MI | Charged | The Diocese received an allegation of sexual abuse by Vellian in Fall 2010, and the Review Board deemed the allegations credible. In early 2010, Vellian was found to be director in San Jose CA of Knanaya Catholic Mission. The woman filed a criminal complaint, but no prosecutions were filed due to the statute of limitations. Vellian was found to be active in 2013 and 2014, but was in poor health. The MI Attorney General charged Vellian with raping a 15-year-old girl in the early 1970s, and sought extradition from India. |
White | Leroy E. | Diocese of Kalamazoo MI | Accused | Accused of touching the breasts of teenage girls and women, sent for treatment out of state, returned to ministry, required to undergo counseling, removed from ministry in 2002, prohibited from working in the Kalamazoo diocese, prohibited from public ministry in the Archdiocese of Detroit. |
Aubin | Joseph Emile | Diocese of Lansing MI | Accused | The diocese announced 11/15/2018 Aubin’s removal from public ministry due to a credible allegation of inappropriate sexual behavior with a minor dating to the 1960s. On the diocese’s list 9/27/2019. Died 4/15/2020. |
Boardway | Alphonse | Diocese of Lansing MI | Settled | A man publicly accused Boardway of rape at age 16 in 1968. The Diocese of Lansing sent him $650, but the statute of limitations had expired, and the Order said there was no record of the man’s contact with the lawyer. |
Boyer | Francis Gerald | Diocese of Lansing MI | Accused | A man accused Boyer of raping him in 1961 at age 12, when he was an altar boy and helped at weekday mass. Boyer shot and killed himself in 1973. |
Coughlin | Kenneth F. | Diocese of Lansing MI | Accused | Coughlin was removed from his parish in Grand Blanc after allegations he had inappropriately touched two students. He entered treatment/evaluation at the bishop’s request and remained on administrative leave. |
Crowley | Timothy M. | Diocese of Lansing MI | Guilty plea | Ordained in 1976 for the Holy Ghost Fathers, incardinated in 1982 into the Diocese of Lansing, accused of sexually abusing an altar boy, age 10, beginning in 1982 and continuing until 1990. Laicized in 2015, charged with eight counts of criminal sexual conduct in 2018, but dropped. |
DeLorenzo | Vincent Anthony | Diocese of Lansing MI | Guilty plea | In 2004 another man alleged abuse at age 5 once in 1987. There are eight known accusers as of 5/2019. DeLorenzo was charged with sexual abuse of a boy over 5 years beginning in 1995. Arrested in Marion County FL in 2019, charge with the sexual assault of a 5-year-old boy in 1987. Pleaded guilty in 4/2023, and was sentenced to five years’ probation. |
Egan | Patrick W. | Diocese of Lansing MI | Accused | Egan was accused of sexual harassment, sexual abuse and improper sexual contact. His faculties were revoked in 2019 after additional allegations, but investigators determined that none of his accusers were minors at the time of the alleged abuse. |
Fitzgerald | Alexander Thomas | Diocese of Lansing MI | Accused | Named publicly by the diocese 7/13/2020 on its list of those with credible allegations against them. Died 7/5/1996. |
Guoan | Paul James | Diocese of Lansing MI | Accused | Named publicly as credibly accused by the diocese on its list 9/27/2019. Multiple allegations. Removed from ministry 3/11/2002. Laicized 6/26/2015. |
Gregory | Jeffrey | Diocese of Lansing MI | Settled | Gregory was accused of performing oral sex on a 16-year-old altar boy in 1966, but no charges were filed due to the statute of limitations. |
Kelly | Michael Robert | Diocese of Lansing MI | Accused | Named publicly as credibly accused by the diocese on its list 9/27/2019. Left active ministry 12/1/1983. Laicized 2/9/1992. |
Jr. | James William Lee, | Diocese of Lansing MI | Accused | Named publicly as credibly accused by the Diocese on its list 9/27/2019. Multiple allegations. Died 1/25/1992. |
Lesniak | Marian John | Diocese of Lansing MI | Accused | Named publicly as credibly accused by the diocese on its list 9/27/2019. Pastor of St. Joseph’s in Jackson for 39 years. Died 10/9/2011. |
Lowery | Shaun D. | Diocese of Lansing MI | Accused | Pastor of St. Mary Magdalen in Brighton Township was placed on leave pending an investigation by the MI Attorney General. The investigation found that the allegations were credible, and Lowery requested laicization. |
Lobert | Richard | Diocese of Lansing MI | Sued | The man was accused of sexually abusing a boy at W.J. Maxey Boys Training School in 1999. The statute of limitations was possibly prohibitive. |
Martin | John Edward | Diocese of Lansing MI | Accused | Two men reported abuse as minors by Martin in the 1950s-early 1960s. Four more accusers came forward, and Martin was removed from public ministry. |
McHugh | Joseph | Diocese of Lansing MI | Accused | Named publicly as credibly accused by the Lansing diocese on its list 9/27/2019. Member of the Spiritans Irish Province. Worked in Lansing 1974-1976, during which time he allegedly abused. Multiple allegations. Died 9/25/2007. |
Novak | James M. | Diocese of Lansing MI | Accused | Per a news article 8/24/2010, accused of abuse and permanently removed from ministry; no dates given. Included on the Lansing diocese’s list of credibly accused 9/27/2019. Multiple allegations. Noted to have been removed from ministry 11/25/2002. Laicization pending. |
Slowey | John Donald | Diocese of Lansing MI | Settled | One man settled a claim against Slowey and the diocese for $225K, saying the abuse took place when he was 5-6 and lived at St. Vincent Home for Children. |
Sullivan | James S. | Diocese of Lansing MI | Accused | Auxiliary bishop of Lansing 1972-1985, bishop of Fargo 1985 until his resignation 3/18/2002 due to Alzheimer’s Disease, Sullivan was accused of fondling a boy in 1966 at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in East Lansing MI. He denied the charges. |
Szymanski | Edgar | Diocese of Lansing MI | Accused | Szymanksi was named publicly as accused by his order on its list 6/12/2019. He died 12/8/1998. |
Tomaszewski | Chester Vincent | Diocese of Lansing MI | Accused | Named publicly as credibly accused by the diocese on its list 9/27/2019. Went on sick leave 1/15/1987. Died 10/21/1987. |
Wyszynski | Darius W. | Diocese of Lansing MI | Accused | Ordained for the Assumption BVM Province, WI. Incardinated into the Diocese of Lansing in 1970. Died 2/17/2013. Named publicly as credibly accused by the diocese on its list 9/27/2019. |
Adasiewicz | Casimir | Diocese of Marquette MI | Accused | Adasiewicz allegedly molested and raped a girl, age 7, in around 1965 at Sacred Heart in L’anse. He died in 1981. |
Anderson | Thomas | Diocese of Marquette MI | Accused | A man told the diocese that Anderson sexually abused him from 1963 to 1967, and a second man told the diocese that Anderson abused him at age 9 in Kingsford, MI. |
Beyer | Emil J. | Diocese of Marquette MI | Sued | The Diocese received a report in 1997 that Beyer sexually abused a boy at Holy Family Orphanage. Beyer denied the allegations, and a lawsuit was dismissed due to the statute of limitations. |
Carne | Joseph D. | Diocese of Marquette MI | Accused | Carne was removed from ministry in 2002 following allegations of sexual misconduct involving minors and multiple allegations of sexual abuse of boys ages 8-17 and male college students. |
Cornelius | Leonard | Diocese of Marquette MI | Accused | Cornelius abused a minor in the 1980s while chaplain at The Carmelite Monastery in Iron Mountain, MI, and was sent to treatment. |
Craig | Richard T. | Diocese of Marquette MI | Accused | A boy, age 12, told his counselor that he had been sleeping in bed with Fr. Craig. Craig was sent to St. Luke’s Institute and Rogers Memorial Hospital for treatment, and was asked to resign and seek laicization. |
Dunleavy | Thomas P. | Diocese of Marquette MI | Accused | A woman reported to the diocese in 2002 that Dunleavy sexually assaulted her in the early 1950s, and two other girls her age had also alleged abuse by the priest. A woman reported that she and her sister were sexually abused by Dunleavy in the 1960s at St. Williams in Menominee. A woman reported Dunleavy sexually abused her and her sister in the late 1960s in Menominee, MI. |
Ferraro | Gino S. | Diocese of Marquette MI | Accused | In 2008 a woman told the diocese that Ferraro molested her when she was ages 8-17, and that others were also molested. Three priests denied the allegations, and the case went before the Diocesan Review Board. |
Gibbs | Wilbur M. | Diocese of Marquette MI | Accused | Monsignor Gibbs was accused of sexually abusing children at Holy Family Home Orphanage. |
Goerner | Basil | Diocese of Marquette MI | Accused | Steve Goerner was ordained at age 61 in 1993 after having been married and raising a family. He was removed from all public ministry in 2002 due to the US Bishops’ Charter. |
Hale | Michael F. | Diocese of Marquette MI | Accused | Hale’s personnel file shows an incident in 1955 with a boy, age 15, and in 1956 two teenage boys told a priest that Hale sexually abused one of them multiple times. Hale was accused of sexual impropriety with a boy at a Trenary church. A man reported to the police that Hale had sexually abused him as a teenager. |
Harrington | Gerald F. | Diocese of Marquette MI | Accused | Included in the MI Attorney General’s 10/2022 report as the subject of an allegation of abuse. Harrington died in 1962. |
Hartman | Donald | Diocese of Marquette MI | Accused | Hartman was accused of abuse on multiple occasions and was named in the MI Attorney General’s 10/2022 report. In 2004 a man reported that Hartman sexually abused him multiple times in 1953-1954. |
Hasenberg | Aloysius J. | Diocese of Marquette MI | Accused | Hasenburg was investigated for raping a cognitively impaired man, but no charges were filed. Accused of abuse of altar boys in 1948 or 1949 and 1987-1991 or 1992. Removed from ministry and rectory. |
Healy | Terrence M. | Diocese of Marquette MI | Convicted | Applied for incardination into the Lansing diocese in 1982, removed in 1987, and laicized in 1992. |
Hoefgen | Raymond J. | Diocese of Marquette MI | Accused | The diocese received a report in 1994 that Hoefgen had sexually abused two girls in the 1960s. He was sent to treatment, but was allowed to remain in ministry. |
Jacobs | Gary Allen | Diocese of Marquette MI | Convicted | Jacobs was named publicly as accused by the diocese on its list 9/26/2016, removed from ministry in 12/1988, laicized in 2010, and pleaded guilty to 4 separate charges of abuse of children between ages 13 and 15, occurring between 1/1/1981 and 12/31/1984. |
Hughes | John G. | Diocese of Marquette MI | Accused | A 18-year-old male told Bishop Noa that Hughes repeatedly sexually abused him in the late 1950s and 1960s. Noa responded that he “could not have people saying these terrible things about a priest”. |
Joseph | Roy | Diocese of Marquette MI | Arrested | Criminally charged for “an incident” occurring around 2/21/2006. Extradition from India is reportedly in progress. |
LaCosse | Norbert Paul | Diocese of Marquette MI | Convicted | LaCosse admitted to child sexual abuse and said “there have been others”. Pleaded guilty to four counts of abusing the altar boy 1988-1990, served 6 1/2 years in prison, and was released. A lawsuit by his victim settled in 1999, and his brother came forward in 2004 alleging abuse at age 15 in 1955. |
LePine | Clement J. | Diocese of Marquette MI | Accused | LePine was accused of abusing at least two girls and a boy in the 1960s and 1970s. The Diocese removed LePine’s name from the parish hall at St. Joseph’s in Ishpeming, where he was assigned 1957-1986. |
Lenz | Frank M. | Diocese of Marquette MI | Accused | Retired in 2007, placed on administrative leave 4/2/2018 after an allegation of sexual misconduct with a girl in the 1970s. The Vatican was unable to establish Lenz’s guilt or innocence, and he was returned to ministry under restrictions. |
Menapace | James L. | Diocese of Marquette MI | Accused | In 2000, Menapace was placed on restricted ministry, and permanently removed from ministry in 2002. In 2000, a priest was accused of sexually abusing two boys at his cottage in Gulliver Lake. The boys’ family did not want to notify civil authorities, but one of the boys died by suicide in 2010. |
McQuesten | Mark | Diocese of Marquette MI | Accused | McQuesten was named publicly as accused in the MI Attorney General’s report in 10/2022, but the Diocesan Review Board determined that the allegation was not credible. |
Monroe | Robert J. | Diocese of Marquette MI | Accused | In 2002, a man reported that Monroe sexually abused him and other boys at St. Mary’s in Sault Ste. Marie, and in 2005, a woman reported that Monroe sexually abused her multiple times at age 4 in 1968-1969. |
Nowicki | Aaron | Diocese of Marquette MI | Convicted | Nowicki was arrested in a sting operation in 2021 for attempting to meet a 14- or 15-year-old for sex in Sault Ste. Marie, MI. |
Ouellette | Vincent L. | Diocese of Marquette MI | Accused | Per the MI Attorney General’s 10/22 report, the diocese received an allegation in 7/2004 from a relative of Oulette’s that the priest sexually abused him at age 13 during a trip to MN. Oullette died in 1998. |
Pelletier | Wilfred | Diocese of Marquette MI | Accused | A man reported to the diocese in 2005 that Pelletier had sexually abused him and a friend over two years, at ages 16 or 17, in Alpha MI. Pelletier was soon removed from his parish. Pelletier’s personnel file shows that he was sent to Jemez Springs NM in 1961 for contributing to the deliquency of a minor. |
Polakowski | Anthony J. | Diocese of Marquette MI | Accused | A woman told the diocese that Polakowski sexually abused her for a year when she was in 6th grade. He had a “playboy” reputation and had a Corvette, snowmobile and horses. Polakowski gave alcohol to minors, and killed two women and injured a 16-year-old boy in 1978. |
Roberts | Armour R. | Diocese of Marquette MI | Accused | A.G. Marquette report reveals multiple allegations against Roberts, who sought work in other dioceses but was accepted only in Bismarck. Reports in 2002 and 2014 claimed Roberts sexually abused teenage boys at St. Mary’s in Norway. |
Rocheleau | David H. | Diocese of Marquette MI | Accused | A 53-year-old man reported Rocheleau for sexually abusing him when he was between 10 and 13. |
Rupp | Nelson Daniel | Diocese of Marquette MI | Accused | Rupp was named publicly as accused in the MI Attorney General’s 10/2022 report. He was relieved of his duties with the Charismatic Renewal in 1982, and was accused of sexually abusing boys at his camp in 1985-1987. |
Sheedlo | Walter J. | Diocese of Marquette MI | Accused | In 1997 a man told Bishop Garland that Sheedlo made sexual advances toward him during counseling sessions the previous year. Sheedlo was removed from public ministry in 2009 and remains on leave. |
Sitko | Ephraem | Diocese of Marquette MI | Accused | Named publicly as accused in the MI Attorney General’s 10/2022 report, a woman reported that Ephraim Sitko would grab her at recess and make her sit in his lap beneath his long cape. |
Smith | B. Neil | Diocese of Marquette MI | Accused | Smith was named publicly as accused in the MI Attorney General’s 10/2022 report. A 14 or 15-year-old boy told Bishop Garland that Smith sexually abused him multiple times in 1951 or 1952. |
Strelick | Charles J. | Diocese of Marquette MI | Accused | Strelick was named publicly as accused in the MI Attorney General’s report in 10/2022, and a man told the Diocese that Strelick sexually abused him at age 8 in 1991 during confession. |
Thoren | Guy S. | Diocese of Marquette MI | Accused | Thoren was removed in 2002 after the diocese substantiated an allegation of abuse of a minor. Report from a Jesuit brother that Thoren violated his boundary when he was 17-18 and grabbed him aggressively in a sexual manner in a sauna. |
Schueren | Bernard Van der | Diocese of Marquette MI | Accused | A boy, age 10 or 11, was abused by ‘Fr. Ben’ in 1987 and 1988 while he filled in at St. Michael Parish in Marquette. |
Jr. | Robert DeLand, | Diocese of Saginaw MI | Convicted | Pastor of St. Agnes in Tittabawassee Township, arrested after 17-year-old boy went undercover and accused him of sexual assault. A 17-year-old boy filed a lawsuit against the Diocese after being arrested for allegedly sex assaulting a 17- or 18-year-old male in 5/17. The Diocese knew of “rumors” in 1992, but deemed the allegations “unfounded”. Acquitted in 3/2019 of assault of two teens, pleaaded no contest, and was sentenced to 2 to 15 years in prison. |
Dombrowski | Ronald J. | Diocese of Saginaw MI | Accused | Dombrowski was suspended from ministry after a victim came forward claiming sexual abuse as a minor. He was removed from the diocese’s list of credibly accused. |
Kalahar | Martin Ignatius | Diocese of Saginaw MI | Accused | Named publicly as accused by the Saginaw diocese on its list 4/10/2019. Ordained for the Grand Rapids diocese. Died 4/13/1966. Noted to have been accused after his death. |
Howard | Richard L. | Diocese of Saginaw MI | Accused | Ordained for the permanent diaconate 9/10/1977, laicized 2/17/2006 due to credible allegations of sexual abuse of minors. |
Kucharczyk | Dennis | Diocese of Saginaw MI | Accused | Suspended in 5/2019 for “misconduct” with a minor “years ago”, after police had informed the diocese in 3/2018. The diocese determined there were boundary violations but not enough evidence to proceed further. |
Leipert | Jack J. | Diocese of Saginaw MI | Accused | Leipert was named publicly by Saginaw bishop Cistone in 4/2018 as a former priest having been permanently removed from ministry due to credible allegations of the sexual abuse of minors. |
Marron | James Andrew | Diocese of Saginaw MI | Accused | Missionary in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, retired to Bethel Park, PA, and was named publicly as accused by the Saginaw diocese on its list 4/10/2019. |
McHugh | Francis | Diocese of Saginaw MI | Accused | Named publicly as accused by the Saginaw diocese on 4/10/2019; assigned to an Essexville parish 1954-1962; died 9/5/1998. |
Mulvey | James Aloysius | Diocese of Saginaw MI | Accused | Ordained for the Diocese of Grand Rapids. Died 11/7/1959. Named publicly as accused by the Saginaw diocese on its list 4/10/2019. Allegation made after Mulvey’s death. |
O’Connor | Neil Francis | Diocese of Saginaw MI | Accused | Ordained for the Diocese of Grand Rapids. Died 3/8/1989. Named publicly as accused by the Saginaw diocese on its list 8/12/2019. Allegation noted to have been received after O’Connor’s death. |
Rabideau | John Steven | Diocese of Saginaw MI | Convicted | Rabideau was accused of abuse of three boys, between ages 6-14, when a seminarian. He fled the country, was arrested in Colombia, and sentenced to 5-10 years in prison on child sex abuse charges. |
Ryan | Thomas William | Diocese of Saginaw MI | Accused | Ordained for the Diocese of Grand Rapids. Died 1/25/1975. Named publicly as accused by the Saginaw diocese on its list 4/10/2019. Allegation noted to have been received after Ryan’s death. |
Stoffel | Elmer | Diocese of Saginaw MI | Accused | Named publicly as accused by the Diocese of Saginaw on its list in 2019. Assigned to the diocese 1958-1970. Died 12/2/1992. Included on the Capuchins St. Joseph Province list of those with substantiated allegations against them. |
Szafranski | Richard T. | Diocese of Saginaw MI | Accused | Accused of sexual misconduct with a minor female in the mid-1970s. Placed on leave; no criminal charges pursued; permanently removed from ministry. |
Szarek | Joseph | Diocese of Saginaw MI | Accused | From Poland, was a St. Vincent DePaul Missionary, arrived in the U.S. in 1941, and was named publicly as accused by the Diocese of Saginaw in 2019. |
Wilkuski | Leonard F. | Diocese of Saginaw MI | Accused | Wilkuski resigned from his parish and was placed on leave 5/2002 after acknowledging an allegation of sexual misconduct which occurred “much earlier” in his ministry. Laicized 2/17/2006, per the Diocese. Died 1/25/2022. |
About Clergy Abuse
Any sexual misconduct from clergy members to anyone else in their congregation can be considered clergy abuse. People of any age can be subjected to clergy abuse, but unfortunately, it tends to be the children who suffer the most. Child sexual abuse leaves a lasting impression on the child, including emotional and psychological trauma.
Reporting the abuse and seeking legal counsel are the first steps in preventing the abuser from continuing the pattern. The legal process for clergy abuse cases varies slightly, but they all involve filing lawsuits, gathering evidence, and either going to trial or negotiating outside of the courtroom. Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers knows how to guide survivors in Michigan through the legal system and emotionally to ensure their rights are protected.
Legal Support for Survivors in Michigan
Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers is here to offer legal services to victims of clergy abuse in Michigan. We have an abundance experience working these cases and understand how to work them with the utmost care and compassion every step of the way.
Laws and Regulations in Michigan
Michigan has very specific laws and regulations surrounding clergy abuse and other sexual abuse crimes. Since many survivors don’t report abuse shortly after it happens, it’s important to know what the statute of limitations is in Michigan for these crimes. For civil claims of child sexual abuse, the statute of limitations is until the survivor’s 28th birthday or three years after discovering the abuse. It’s important to know that the right to sue for civil suits isn’t dependent on if they file criminal charges. For those filing criminal claims, there is no statute of limitation if the charge is first-degree criminal sexual conduct.
Mandated reporting laws are active in Michigan to help stop child abuse. The Michigan Child Protection Law requires those who work in human services, healthcare, education, the Michigan Diocese, and other similar fields to report any suspected physical or sexual abuse of minors to the Michigan Department of Human Services (MDHHS).
Filing a Clergy Sexual Abuse Lawsuit in Michigan
After a survivor files a police report to report abuse, it’s time to start the process of holding clergy members responsible for their actions. The process of filing a clergy abuse lawsuit in Michigan involves:
- Initial Attorney Consultation: Meet with a lawyer who specializes in clergy abuse cases. The consultation is so they can hear your case and then put together a plan on how to proceed.
- Evidence Gathering: Gather evidence like various testimonies, witness statements, and if there are any documents that help prove your case.
- Filing the Complaint: Officially file your civil or criminal case against the appropriate party or parties.
- Discovery Process: Both parties will have the opportunity to review all the information and evidence as well as exchange information before settlement negotiations begin.
- Settlement Negotiations or Trial: Negotiation settlements will start. Ideally, both parties will be able to come to an agreement in negotiation meetings, but if they can’t, the case will go to trial.
If you want a law firm that understands the nuances of clergy abuse behind you, contact Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers to get started on the road to justice.
Support Resources for Survivors in Michigan
For those who have been sexually abused by clergy members, finding ways to move past the abuse and find closure isn’t an easy road. Michigan offers a variety of support resources to survivors. Some of these include specialized counseling services, crisis hotlines, and support groups for others who have been through similar situations. Some great resources are:
- Michigan Coalition to End Domestic & Sexual Violence (MCEDSV)
- HAVEN
- Michigan Crime Victim Services Commission (CVSC)
- The Firecracker Foundation
Notable Cases and Outcomes in Michigan
There are hundreds of abuse allegations across the various Diocese of Michigan. The Michigan Attorney General’s Office has been conducting investigations into each alleged abuse allegation, and it’s an ongoing investigation. Some of the notable cases to come out of that investigation are:
- Brian Stanley: This is one of the Priests accused of sexual abuse within the Kalamazoo Diocese. He was proven guilty of holding a teenage boy against his will in a closet in a church in Otsego. He was sentenced to 60 days in jail and was required to be on the sex offender registry for life.
- The Lansing Diocese: The Diocese of Lansing has had several credibly accused Priests and other clergy members, 454 alleged abusers to be exact. One of the most recent cases was when Brian McLain stated that Father Richard Lobert sexually assaulted him. The statute of limitation issues in this case could set a new precedent in Michigan.
- Father Charles Antekeier: This abusive clergy member was working at St. James within the Grand Rapids Diocese when he was accused of criminal sexual abuse. His abuse of a minor occurred between 1984 and 1985, and there are multiple allegations from before then, too. One victim was an altar boy. The victim’s family states that the survivor has lasting effects, like becoming an alcoholic by 14 years old, but didn’t tell his father about the abuse until he was 40 years old. He was permanently removed from ministry work in 2015.
Our attorneys have taken the time to review public and private settlement data related to Michigan clergy abuse settlements. Depending on the details and circumstances of your case, these are valued to be between $400,000 and $950,000. For cases that go before a jury or involve extreme misconduct, they can be valued at $1 million or more.
Why Choose Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers
Survivors of clergy abuse in Michigan can count on Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers to help bring their abuser to justice. We have a proven track record of helping our clients receive a fair settlement for these sensitive cases.
Priest grooming and handling
Deacon assault and rape
Clergy child abuse filed in adulthood
Volunteer-perpetrated Catholic church abuse
Religious school priest teen sexual abuse
Clergy abuse case filed against a deceased priest
When you choose to work with us, you’ll get a dedicated legal team with experience and knowledge about clergy abuse who will also remain compassionate throughout the entire process.
Contact Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers
If you or someone you love has been sexually abused by a clergy member in the Catholic Dioceses of Michigan, Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers is prepared to fight for your rights. Contact us today for your free consultation by filling out the form on our website or by calling us at (888) 424-5757.
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