Case Against Catholic Priest Will Be Tried in Atlantic County
A civil case against a Catholic priest will be tried in Atlantic County, New Jersey after claims made by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia that stated that the abuse occurred outside their jurisdiction and could not be tried in the county. From 1972 to 1977, a seminary student from the St. Charles Borromeo Seminary allegedly abused a seven-year-old boy. Initially, the sexual abuse took place in Brigantine, New Jersey during a vacation, and another incident occurred on a trip to Gloucester City, New Jersey. The alleged abuser moved to St. Anne’s Parish in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania after graduating from the seminary.
Despite retaliatory threats from the abuser, the boy reported the events in 1974 to the church, and with intervention from a nun two years later, the priest who passed away in 2010 was transferred to a parish in Chester County, Pennsylvania. In addition to the abuse, the plaintiff alleged that the Archdiocese was negligent and failed to investigate the claims. A judge recently ruled that since the Archdiocese owned property in Atlantic County and was partnered with the Trenton Diocese that a trial in Atlantic County is permitted and will occur on May 2.
If you or someone you love suffered from clergy abuse in childhood, our New Jersey clergy abuse lawyers at the Law Offices of Harold J. Gerr will fight against the injustice you faced. Call us today at 732-537-8570 or toll-free at 877-249-4600 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation. We represent clients throughout New Jersey and the following municipalities including New Brunswick, Somerset, Piscataway, Edison, South River, Sayreville, Metuchen, East Brunswick, South Plainfield, Fords, Middlesex, Old Bridge, Iselin, Bound Brook, Perth Amboy, and Colonia from our offices in Highland Park, New Jersey.
