Vatican Sued in Federal Court Over Sex Abuse Scandal
In the latest lawsuit related to the recent Catholic priest sexual abuse scandals, the Vatican and Bay Area archdioceses will now have to reply to a lawsuit filed in federal court in San Francisco.
That case is making headlines due to the big allegations including hundreds of priests who are alleged to have sexually assaulted children. The case also comes on the heels of another significant Catholic priest sexual abuse case filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court earlier this month against nearly every archdioceses in the state.
200+ Priests Accused
The attorney filing the case released a list of names for Bay Area Catholic clergy who have been credibly accused of sexual misconduct. Shockingly, that list is well over 200 names long, and only includes clergy from the San Francisco, San Jose, and Oakland archdioceses.
The most recent lawsuit not only points the finger at the local archdioceses, it also alleges that the Vatican, which is a sovereign nation, is part of the problem and liable. Notably, the local archdioceses have released their own lists of clergy members who have been accused or found to have committed sexual abuse, but those lists are much shorter than the one released this week.
News is still developing, but reaction from the local dioceses seems to indicate a willingness to investigate and potential work with rather that fight against the case. However, there has been no official Vatican comment on the federal filing.
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