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Sexual abuse is a horrendous crime that is unfortunately committed even in the hallowed halls of religious institutions. If you or a loved one was sexually abused at a church, temple or synagogue of any religious denomination, you have legal rights. At DRZ Law, we can help you protect and exercise your rights. Our Kansas team of religious institution sexual abuse lawyers have extensive experience in cases of sexual assault and trauma. Find out how we can help you during a free consultation.
Religious institution sexual abuse is an umbrella phrase that refers to many different types of sexual abuse, assault and violence by religious leaders, workers or members at a church or religious organization. While the Catholic Church has recently gotten a great deal of press about priest sexual assault, this crime does not discriminate among religions. Many religious institutions and their leaders engage in sex crimes, including against vulnerable children. Examples of religious institution or clerical sexual abuse include:
Sexual abuse in a religious institution in Kansas is a crime that can lead to criminal penalties against an individual perpetrator. The only way to hold an entire institution accountable for sexual assault, however, is with a civil lawsuit. As a survivor or the parent of an abused child, you have the right to hold a religious institution accountable if it failed in its duty to protect its members. You may need an attorney that specializes in clerical sexual abuse, however, to help you file this type of claim.
Although religious institutions are meant to be places of safety, healing and hope for congregants, they are often found to harbor sexual abusers and predators. Many of these institutions conceal the backgrounds of sexual abusers that are among their ranks or fail to report claims of sexual assault to the authorities. Sadly, many parents trust leaders at their churches and temples with their children unsupervised. This leads to a high number of child sexual abuse cases in religious organizations in Kansas.
To go up against a religious institution, you need an attorney with experience handling cases involving institutional abuse. Taking on powerful religious organizations requires a lawyer who is familiar with this area of the law and who has the resources to fight back. Otherwise, you and your family may be taken advantage of by a church or entity that is claiming legal immunity or using other tactics to avoid liability for sexual assault. A religious institution sexual abuse lawyer can guide your family through the legal process each step of the way.
There are many reasons why you may wish to hold a religious institution accountable for sexual abuse and assault. Many of these reasons may be personal, such as seeking justice and closure so that you can heal and move on. You might also wish to seek a monetary recovery for your related losses – both economic and noneconomic. The compensation, or damages, that may be available to you in a lawsuit against a religious institution could include your medical bills, therapies, pain and suffering, mental anguish, psychological trauma, legal fees, and punitive damages.
The Catholic Church may have had the most high-profile sexual abuse cases recently, but clerical sexual abuse is not an exclusively Catholic or Christian problem. If you or a loved one is a victim of sexual assault or abuse within any religious institution in Kansas, DRZ Law can help. We are experienced and compassionate attorneys who have been recognized by SuperLawyers and KCMBA’s Best of the Bar. Our lawyers will do everything possible to make sure that your voice is heard in the civil justice system. Contact us online or call (913) 400-2033 today to request your free, confidential consultation.
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