The Connecticut legislature has wrestled with proposed legislation that would open a “revival window” enabling older victims of clergy and other child sexual abuse to file lawsuits against their abusers and responsible institutions. Each time, the Catholic Church, Boy Scouts, insurance companies and others have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars lobbying lawmakers to oppose such legislation. The most recent effort was defeated in May 2019. Another effort appears to be taking shape in 2019 but its future remains uncertain.
Here is a summary of what has occurred in each of the three Connecticut Dioceses concerning priests who have been “credibly accused” of child sexual abuse and settlements which have been paid:
On January 22, 2019, the Archdiocese of Hartford released the names of priests/clergy who have been “credibly accused” of sexually abusing children while serving in the ministry of the Archdiocese. The entire list appears below.
As of that date, the Archdiocese has paid $50.6million to settle 142 individual lawsuits claiming of child sexual abuse was perpetrated by priests of the Archdiocese or under its control at the time of the abuse. This equates to an average settlement amount of $356,338. Individual settlements ranged from $3,000 to $1.6million.
The Archdiocese also announced that it had hired retired Connecticut Superior Court Judge Antonio Rubaina to conduct a review of the Archdiocese’s clergy files dating back to 1953, the year in which the Archdiocese was established. The purpose of the review is to identify any other priests or clergy against whom allegations of child sexual abuse were made.
In October 2019, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport, Connecticut issued a report detailing child sexual abuse by priests serving the Diocese since its formation in 1953. The report was compiled by a retired Connecticut Superior Judge. The report is based upon the existing files and records of the Diocese so there are likely to be many more incidents of abuse that occurred but went unreported.
Among the findings set forth in the report are the following:
UPDATE: On March 22, 2019, the Diocese of Bridgeport released the names of ten (10) additional priests who have been “credibly accused” of child sexual abuse. The 10 priests were identified in a letter issued by the Most Reverend Frank J. Caggiano, the Bishop of the Bridgeport Diocese. Of the 10 priests, eight were diocesan priests who are now deceased, one is a retired diocesan priest who is alive and is on Permanent Administrative Leave and one is a Venezuelan priest who was present in the Diocese for one summer in 1991. Their names have been added to the existing list of credibly accused clergy below.
On July 15, 2021 the Diocese of Norwich filed for protection under the U.S. Bankruptcy Laws. That case has been pending for~3 ½ years. Now, the Diocese of Norwich, the Abuse Claimants who filed Claims in Bankruptcy and the general creditors have reached a settlement that will be presented to the Bankruptcy Court for approval. If approved, this will conclude the Bankruptcy proceeding. As for legacy sexual abuse claims (for abuse that occurred prior to July 16, 2021), the Bar Date set by the Bankruptcy Court was March 15, 2022. This was the last date that child sex abuse and other claims against the Norwich Diocese could have been filed. No further claims will be accepted in the Bankruptcy proceeding and, if the Bankruptcy Court confirms the proposed Plan of Reorganization for the Diocese, all other claims against the Norwich Diocese for child sexual abuse committed prior to July 16, 2021 will be extinguished. However, If you or a loved one suffered childhood sexual abuse after July 15, 2021 committed by a priest or other person working for or affiliated with the Norwich Diocese, we would like to speak with you.
The following lists include current or former priests who have been sued and/or suspended following allegations of sexual abuse of minors or have claims against them in the state of Connecticut. We are actively pursuing cases against Catholic priests and clergy as well as figures from other religious institutions. The list below includes priest, clergy, nuns and religious educators from 4 different Connecticut dioceses.
Important note: If the name of a priest or other member of clergy you are searching for does not appear in the lists below, it does not mean that you do not have a potential claim against that individual. These lists of credibly accused individuals are always expanding as more information is brought forth to the dioceses and to authorities. Please contact us if you or a loved one has been abused by a priest or other clergy member, regardless of whether they appear in the lists below or not.
| Archdiocese of Hartford | 48 Named Priests |
| Diocese of Bridgeport | 42 Named Priests |
| Diocese of Norwich | 42 Named Priests |
The following is a list of Archdiocese of Hartford Clergy who have been the objects of legal settlements or otherwise credibly accused of sexual abuse of a minor from 1953 to the present:
Priests/Transitional Deacon of the Archdiocese of Hartford (36)
Religious Order Priests and Priests from other Dioceses who have been credibly accused of sexual abuse of a minor that took place in the Archdiocese of Hartford from 1953 to the present.
Externs (Priests belonging to another Archdiocese/Diocese) (6)
Religious order priests (6)
Incardinated Priests of the Diocese of Norwich
Priests Incardinated in Another Diocese Who Served in the Diocese of Norwich
Priests Belonging to a Religious Order Who Served in the Diocese of Norwich
Priests Who Served in the Diocese of Norwich Who Had Allegations in Other Dioceses But Not in the Diocese of Norwich
If you prefer to speak with us directly regarding your incident, please call The Meneo Law Group at 1-866-371-8506 1-866-371-8506 or send us a confidential email.