Nine Sue Diocese over Alleged Sexual Abuse

By Peter Smith
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
June 11, 2020

https://www.post-gazette.com/news/faith-religion/2020/06/11/Nine-sue-diocese-over-alleged-sexual-abuse-Catholic-Pittsburgh/stories/202006110120

Nine plaintiffs filed suit Wednesday against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh, alleging past sexual abuse by seven of its priests.

The lawsuit was filed in Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas by eight individuals and the estate of a ninth, all identified by initials. They are represented by Harrisburg attorney Benjamin Andreozzi, who has previously represented plaintiffs in numerous sexual-abuse lawsuits against Catholic dioceses.

The lawsuit accuses the diocese of fraud, conspiracy, fraudulent concealment, breach of fiduciary duty. Also named as defendants are churches of the diocese where the accused priests worked.

All seven priests accused of abuse in the lawsuit were named in the 2018 Pennsylvania grand jury report into sexual abuse in the Diocese of Pittsburgh and five other Catholic dioceses.