Clergy occupy a rare place of authority. Families invite them into homes, hospitals, classrooms, and moments of grief, and children are taught to listen to them. When that standing is used to abuse someone, the betrayal can shake a survivor’s faith, sense of safety, and ability to trust anyone.
At Wagner Reese, LLP, we help survivors of clergy abuse across the state through our Indiana sexual abuse practice. Our attorneys are recognized by Super Lawyers and The Best Lawyers in America, and the founding partners have been named to the Top 25 Indiana Super Lawyers list. Your consultation is free and confidential, and you owe no fee unless we recover compensation for you.
Clergy Abuse Across Indiana
Indiana has five Catholic dioceses, which are the Archdiocese of Indianapolis and the dioceses of Evansville, Fort Wayne-South Bend, Gary, and Lafayette. Between 2018 and early 2019, each one published a list of clergy it considered credibly accused of abusing minors. Each list named clergy, so the concerns touched every diocese in the state.
Abuse is not limited to one denomination or one kind of congregation. Survivors have come forward about experiences in parishes, congregations, schools, camps, and counseling relationships, and the person responsible may have been ordained, employed, or serving as a volunteer. Our work looks at the role each person and organization played, from the individual who committed the abuse to the leaders who supervised, assigned, or protected that person. Each of those decisions can matter to a civil claim.
Understanding the Indiana Filing Deadline
Indiana law sets different time limits depending on a survivor’s age when the abuse occurred. Under Indiana Code Section 34-11-2-4, an adult injury claim generally must be started within two years. For child sexual abuse, the law allows the later of seven years after the claim accrues or four years after the person stops being a dependent of the alleged abuser, as CHILD USA’s Indiana summary explains.
Other rules can affect when the clock starts, including provisions about legal disability and concealment. Because these details are technical, a prompt review matters. Our guide to the Indiana sexual assault statute of limitations offers more background, and we can review your situation directly at no cost.
What a Clergy Abuse Investigation Involves
These cases often depend on records held by religious organizations. We seek assignment histories, personnel files, complaints, internal communications, and insurance information that may show what leaders knew and when they knew it.
Reviewing the Pattern
One report can reveal others. If a person was moved from place to place after a concern surfaced, that history may help show whether an institution acted responsibly. Our article on institutional sexual assault describes how these patterns are examined.
Documenting the Harm
We also document how the abuse has affected the survivor, using medical and counseling records and, where appropriate, input from clinicians. Careful documentation helps explain the lasting impact on health, work, and relationships. It also supports a request for compensation that reflects counseling, medical care, lost income, and the emotional toll a survivor has carried.
Survivors Who Come Forward Years Later
Many people do not speak about clergy abuse for decades. Some feared they would not be believed, some were told to stay silent, and some did not understand what had happened until they were adults. Waiting does not mean a survivor did anything wrong, and coming forward later can still open the door to answers, support, and accountability.
Survivors also live in different places than they did as children. You do not have to live in Indiana today for us to talk about what happened here, and you can contact us from wherever you are. We will explain how the law may apply to your circumstances.
Reporting and Safety
If a child is in immediate danger, call 911. A suspicion of child abuse should be reported to Indiana’s Child Abuse Hotline and to local law enforcement, which creates an official record. Keep a child away from the person involved, and avoid confronting that person directly.
A civil claim is separate from a criminal investigation. It can move forward even when prosecutors decline to file charges, and it focuses on compensation and accountability. Related concerns in other settings, such as youth sports, raise many of the same questions about supervision.
What You Can Expect From Our Team
Our sexual abuse team, including Stephanie L. Cassman and Jeff S. Gibson, begins with listening. You do not need documents in hand, and you do not have to share every detail at once.
If we believe a claim may be possible, we explain the process, the likely steps, and the choices you have. We protect your privacy, keep you informed, and never push you toward a decision before you are ready.
Take the First Step With Wagner Reese, LLP
Whether the abuse happened recently or long ago, your experience deserves to be heard. We are ready to answer your questions and pursue accountability from the people and institutions responsible.
To speak with us in confidence, contact our office and schedule a free consultation. You do not have to carry this alone.
