Bridgeport Clergy Sexual Abuse Lawyers

Attorneys Helping Victims of Sexual Abuse by Priests or Other Members of the Clergy in Bridgeport, Connecticut

Sexual abuse by priests, ministers, and other clergy members is a profound betrayal of trust that can cause devastating harm to victims. Religious leaders are meant to provide moral authority and spiritual guidance, and abuse by these trusted figures can be incredibly damaging. Children and vulnerable adults who are victimized by clergy may struggle with shame, guilt, and confusion that can persist for decades. Many victims blame themselves or question their faith, increasing the psychological trauma of the abuse.

For too long, religious institutions have taken steps to protect their reputations instead of protecting vulnerable members of their congregations. Abusive clergy may be transferred to new parishes without warning communities, victims may be pressured to remain silent, and institutions may fail to report crimes to law enforcement. This has allowed abuse to continue, creating generations of survivors who suffered in silence.

At Tremont Sheldon P.C., our attorneys work to hold abusers accountable while fighting to help victims obtain compensation from religious institutions that failed to protect them. We have been representing clients in sexual abuse cases involving churches and other organizations for decades, and we understand how to help ensure that victims will be able to receive justice and achieve closure.

The Devastating Impact of Clergy Sexual Abuse

Sexual abuse by religious figures can cause profound and lasting harm that affects victims throughout their lives. Childhood trauma from abuse can create wounds that persist into adulthood. Children victimized by clergy may experience confusion about what happened, and they may not have the developmental capacity to understand that they were being harmed. Abusers may exploit this confusion and use their positions of trust to manipulate victims into compliance and silence. The psychological damage from this betrayal can affect a victim's brain development, emotional regulation, and their ability to form healthy relationships.

Shame and self-blame prevent many survivors from disclosing abuse for years or decades. Abusers may convince victims that they are somehow responsible for the abuse or that speaking about it would harm their families or communities. Religious teachings about sin, forgiveness, and obedience may be twisted by abusers to silence victims and maintain access to them.

Depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder are common among clergy abuse survivors. The trauma of abuse, combined with years of carrying secrets and shame, can take a severe toll on a person's mental health. Many survivors struggle with suicidal thoughts, substance abuse, and difficulty maintaining employment or relationships.

How Religious Institutions Enable Sexual Abuse

In many cases, churches, dioceses, and other religious organizations have allowed sexual abuse by clergy to continue. When concerns about clergy members are raised, institutions may conduct minimal or no investigation. They may accept denials from accused abusers without interviewing alleged victims or gathering evidence. This deliberate blindness has allowed abusers to continue harming children and vulnerable adults.

Transferring abusive clergy members to new locations without disclosure can create opportunities for repeated abuse. Rather than removing dangerous priests from ministry or reporting them to authorities, dioceses may move them to different parishes. This practice has allowed serial abusers to victimize dozens or hundreds of people over decades.

Pressuring victims and families to remain silent may protect institutions at the expense of victims. Religious leaders may urge families not to involve police or offer small financial settlements in exchange for confidentiality agreements. These tactics have prioritized the reputations of religious institutions ahead of child safety and victim welfare.

Inadequate screening and supervision of clergy have allowed some abusers to gain access to positions of trust. In some cases, background checks have not been performed, psychological evaluations have been superficial or nonexistent, and clergy have been given unsupervised access to children without adequate monitoring.

Failure to report abuse to law enforcement has violated mandatory reporting laws in many cases. Even when religious leaders learn of abuse, they may not notify police or child protective services as required by law. These failures have allowed criminal conduct to go unpunished and left abusers free to continue victimizing others. In some cases, dioceses and religious organizations have been accused of destroying personnel files, complaint records, and other documents that would demonstrate they knew about abusive clergy members and failed to protect victims.

How Our Attorneys Help Clergy Abuse Survivors

Representing survivors of clergy sexual abuse requires sensitivity, an understanding of the trauma that victims may experience, and a commitment to pursuing accountability from powerful institutions. At Tremont Sheldon P.C., we provide free, confidential consultations where survivors can discuss their experiences in a safe, non-judgmental environment. We understand that talking about abuse can be difficult and that many survivors need time to build trust before they can fully disclose what happened. We work to ensure that our clients are comfortable and can discuss their cases openly and confidentially.

Our team can research whether dioceses or religious organizations had prior knowledge of abusers' conduct, examine personnel files and internal records, identify other survivors who may have been victimized by the same abusers, and uncover patterns of institutional failure to protect vulnerable people. We work with psychological and medical professionals who can document the impact of abuse on survivors' mental health and physical well-being. These specialists provide testimony establishing the harm caused by abuse and the ongoing effects survivors have experienced.

Our attorneys can pursue direct claims against abusers themselves when possible, and we can also handle institutional liability claims against churches, dioceses, and religious organizations. We will work to recover damages that address costs of counseling and therapy needed to process trauma, lost wages and diminished earning capacity resulting from the psychological effects of abuse, pain and suffering from the abuse itself, and loss of faith and spiritual community that provided meaning and support. We will also pursue punitive damages when institutional conduct demonstrates a reckless disregard for child safety.

Helping Sexual Abuse Survivors Heal and Move Forward

The attorneys at Tremont Sheldon P.C. have represented hundreds of survivors of clergy childhood sexual abuse. We have handled cases involving the Bridgeport Diocese, Hartford Diocese, and other religious institutions.

As one of the first law firms in the entire United States to stand up to these institutions and tell them what they allowed to happen was wrong, we continue to represent the courageous survivors who come forward. We believe it is our duty to make sure they are heard and allowed to heal.

Some of our settlements involve claims by minor victims of sexual abuse by four priests in the Bridgeport Diocese:

• Reverend Martin Federici, while at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Norwalk, Connecticut, St. Edward the Confessor in New Fairfield, and on Emmaus retreats in Danbury, Connecticut
• Reverend Walter Coleman, while at St. Patrick's Church in Bridgeport, Connecticut
• Reverend James Gildea, a Holy Cross brother, while at Notre Dame High School in Fairfield, Connecticut
• Reverend Robert Morrisey, while a counselor at St. Mary's High School in Greenwich, Connecticut

Additionally, we have filed claims against:

• The Archdiocese of Hartford
• The Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut
• St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Milford
• The Maronite Catholic Church

On October 1, 2019, the Diocese of Bridgeport released a report on the sexual abuse of minors in the Diocese since its inception in 1953. The 250-page report paints a picture of the Diocese's massive cover-up and of the Diocese's complete disregard for the well-being and protection of childhood clergy abuse victims, all for the protection of the Church as an institution. Since our involvement in these cases starting in 1993, we have expressed outrage over the cover-up and the aggressive treatment of victims. This report verifies our concerns. We continue to support and fight for survivors with care and compassion.

The Importance of Holding Institutions Accountable

Legal claims against religious institutions can serve multiple purposes beyond providing compensation for individual victims. Accountability for systemic failures can force institutions to acknowledge their roles in enabling abuse. Public exposure of institutions that have protected abusers can educate communities about how abuse was allowed to continue, and it may also prompt reforms.

We work to protect children by ensuring that institutions face consequences for failing to protect vulnerable people. Financial penalties and public accountability can create incentives for religious organizations to implement proper screening, supervision, and reporting practices. Greater awareness can also encourage other survivors to seek help and educate communities about the dynamics of abuse.

Survivors can receive validation when institutions acknowledge that abuse occurred and that victims deserved protections that they did not receive. This acknowledgment can be important for healing. Compensation can also provide resources for survivors, ensuring that they will have access to the counseling, treatment, and support they need for healing. While money cannot undo abuse, it can enable survivors to get help addressing trauma's effects.

Contact Our Bridgeport Clergy Sexual Abuse Attorneys

If you are a survivor of clergy sexual abuse, you are not alone, and you are not to blame. The abuse you suffered was not your fault, regardless of what your abuser or anyone else told you. You deserve justice, accountability, and compensation for the harm caused by both individual abusers and the institutions that protected them. At Tremont Sheldon P.C., our attorneys understand the unique challenges these cases present. We provide compassionate, confidential representation focused on survivors' needs and goals. Contact our Bridgeport, CT church sexual abuse lawyers at 203-335-5145 to arrange a free and confidential consultation.