CHARLESTON (SC)
WMMP [Charleston SC]
March 18, 2022
By Anne Emerson
A new lawsuit accuses a Charleston priest of sexual abuse.
Reverend Father Bryan Babick has been named in a federal lawsuit along with the diocese of Charleston and the Bishop of Charleston brought by a former seminary student.
Babick has been the parish administrator at Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church in Folly Beach. The defendant was also a former chaplain at Bishop England High School
According to the lawsuit, the plaintiff “John Doe 197,” was a seminary student. He says he was being advised by Babick at the time of the alleged abuse in 2019.
Babick was a priest he says he’s known since his days as a Bishop England student.
While home on a break from his studies, the student says he met Babick for dinner.
The suit alleges that Doe lost consciousness and awoke to Babick performing sex acts on him. Afterward the suit alleges that Babick told him “I know you won’t tell anyone, because they won’t believe you.”
“He’s now very much in the netherworld. It’s a problem of what this does to the rest of his professional life of course, it wrecks his faith life this man wanted to give his life to the church,” says the plaintiff’s attorney Lawrence Richter.
The suit alleges that Doe reported the abuse to his vocations director and asked for mental health counseling.
For some reason, the suit states he was referred to a fertility counselor to address the trauma.
The suit alleges that due to the actions and inactions of the diocese, the young man suffered psychological damage and depression among other trauma. ABC News 4 reached out to the Diocese of Charleston, who provided the following statement:
“We have received a copy of the lawsuit and are currently reviewing it. We will respond to the pleading in due time. Father Babick has voluntarily stepped aside from regular ministerial responsibilities for a period of time.”