BATON ROUGE (LA)
News Radio 710 KEEL [Shreveport LA]
March 9, 2022
By Erin McCarty
More legal troubles for the Catholic Church in Louisiana. Several lawsuits alleging abuse are expected to be filed in communities across the state.
BR Proud reports the Diocese of Baton Rouge is accused of covering up abuse cases involving priests.
Attorney Jessica Arbour represents at least one victim who alleges abuse by a priest in the Baton Rouge area back in the 1970’s. The lawsuit claims church leaders knew about problem priests in the the New Orleans area who were routinely moved or “dumped” in Baton Rouge.
Arbour says it is a daily struggle for these victims. She says they deal with this trauma every day and it often takes years for many of the victims to come forward.
Does the Statute of Limitations Not Come into Play in These Cases?
These new claims are coming to light after state lawmakers passed bills to open the door to these suits even after the victims are now adults and many years after the alleged abuse happened.
This case filed in Baton Rouge will be the first of as many as 10 similar cases that are expected to be filed in communities across Louisiana. Arbour says six to 10 similar lawsuits will likely be filed in coming weeks.