Monday of last week marked a noted juncture in the high-profile bankruptcy case involving the Archdiocese of Santa Fe.
June 17 was a signal date figuratively (perhaps literally for some people) circled in red on a calendar. It denoted the deadline for individuals seeking to file claims against what a recent news account prominently terms “New Mexico’s largest and oldest Roman Catholic diocese.”
The diocese has been front-page subject matter nationally for many months now, in the wake of its declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization filing last year. Unsurprisingly, notes the above article, that action following hundreds of sexual abuse complaints “shocked parishioners.”
Legions of victims and their families were fervently hoping for candid admissions from church authorities, as well as a remedy purposefully promoting maximum recoveries and closure. The bankruptcy filing took many people by surprise.
Church officials insist the strategy was in good faith and a financial necessity. The Santa Fe diocese is far from alone in invoking Chapter 11 as a response to mass sexual abuse claims; reportedly, more than a score of other American dioceses have similarly filed for protection.
The June 17 tally on claims came to a stunning 395 allegations of wrongdoing. Nearly 95% of the filings spotlighted sexual abuse allegations.
We agree at Kennedy Law Firm with victims’ advocates who insist that full and prompt disclosure concerning all individuals identified in abuse claims is a nonnegotiable imperative. Our deep team of knowledgeable and empathetic attorneys routinely advocates aggressively and with impassioned commitment on behalf of victims who need a strong legal voice promoting full accountability and justice.
Our attorneys collectively command many decades of on-point acumen in this critically important legal sphere. We welcome contacts to the firm and the opportunity to apply our experience on behalf of every individual who seeks our help.
