These 311 N.J. Priests, Nuns and Clergy Are Accused of Sexual Misconduct, Law Firm Says. See the Full List.

By Kelly Heyboer and Sophie Nieto-Munoz
NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
May 6, 2019

https://www.lehighvalleylive.com/news/2019/05/these-311-nj-priests-nuns-and-clergy-are-accused-of-sexual-misconduct-law-firm-says-see-the-full-list.html

More than 300 New Jersey priests, nuns, monks and other clergy accused of sexual misconduct -- including many not included in the Catholic Church’s official list -- were named in a report released Monday by lawyers representing an alleged victim suing the state’s dioceses.

The report by a Minnesota-based law firm is related to a lawsuit filed by Edward Hanratty, a sexual abuse victim from New Jersey that says New Jersey’s five Catholic dioceses created a “public hazard” by not naming all clergy members accused of sexually abusing children.

The 311 names in the report come from lawsuits, legal settlements, news reports and other public accounts of alleged abuse, the attorneys said.

In February, the Archdiocese of Newark and the state’s four other dioceses -- Camden, Metuchen, Trenton and Paterson -- released the names of 188 priests and deacons “credibly accused” of sexual abuse of children.

But victims rights groups said the New Jersey list left off numerous names, including priests, nuns and monks accused of abuse while working in Catholic schools and other institutions run by religious orders not under the authority of the Catholic bishops in New Jersey.

“Back in February, Cardinal Tobin and the other bishops in New Jersey made a conscious effort to release the name of certain priest abusers,” said Greg Gianforcaro, one of the attorneys. “They have claimed to be open and transparent. Their list was horrendously inadequate.”

In a statement, the Archdiocese of Newark said it continues to report abuse allegations to law enforcement officials and the church encourages victims to come forward.

“The Archdiocese of Newark is committed to the ongoing support and healing of victims and the acknowledgement of those accused of the sexual abuse of minors. We continue to focus on transparency and accountability and to reinforcing established reporting and prevention policies and programs to protect minors and support victims in our parishes, schools and ministries,” the archdiocese said in a statement.

Church officials said they are also working the state Attorney General’s Office, which is investigating how the Catholic Church in New Jersey handled reports of abuse.

Last month, Gianforcaro and the Minnesota-based law firm Jeff Anderson & Associates, teamed up to release the names of 52 former Boy Scout leaders from New Jersey who allegedly sexually abused boys and were included in the organization’s so-called “Perversion Files.”

The lists come as New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy is preparing to sign a bill that expands the statute of limitations law so more victims of sexual abuse can file lawsuits agains their abusers and institutions, including the Catholic Church and the Boy Scouts.

Similar bills are pending in other states. Attorneys nationwide have been publicizing lists of accused sexual abusers and offering to represent potential clients in civil lawsuits.

Hanratty, the New Jersey victim who filed the lawsuit, is a freelance journalist who wrote a column inspired by the Pennsylvania grand jury report on priest sexual abuse last year. In the column, he detailed his alleged abuse in the late 1980s by Rev. Gerard Sudol, a priest at Our Lady of Czestochowa Catholic Church in Jersey City who stepped down after Hanratty’s accusation.

In his lawsuit, Hanratty is suing all of the dioceses in New Jersey and the New Jersey Catholic Conference, the statewide group representing the Catholic bishops.

The case, known as a “public nuisance lawsuit," alleges the Catholic Church created a danger to the public when it did not release a full list of all clergy members accused of abuse.

The lawsuit calls for the New Jersey dioceses to produce a long list of documents, including all documents related to child sexual abuse, transcripts of testimony and correspondence with the Vatican.

“Open it all up. Full story. Full accounting . . . We deserve to know. It’s that simple. We deserve to know,” Hanratty said.

Kelly Heyboer may be reached at kheyboer@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @KellyHeyboer. Find her at KellyHeyboerReporter on Facebook. Find NJ.com on Facebook.