PENNSYLVANIA
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
August 13, 2020
By Rich Cholodofsky
https://triblive.com/local/westmoreland/dozens-of-clergy-sex-abuse-lawsuits-filed-in-allegheny-westmoreland-courts-as-possible-deadline-looms-2-years-after-report/
More than two dozen lawsuits that allege sexual abuses by priests were filed Thursday ahead of what lawyers suggest could be a deadline to file legal action two years after the release of a grand jury report that detailed claims involving Catholic dioceses throughout Pennsylvania.
Pittsburgh lawyer Alan Perer filed 25 cases Thursday against the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh and two that alleged misconduct by the Greensburg diocese.
“Our theory is that until the grand jury report that came out on Aug. 14, 2018, all of this stuff was hidden and people didn’t hear about this before. Theoretically, it’s not a statutory barrier, but as a precaution we’re making sure we get these (lawsuits) filed within two years,” Perer said.
A legal ruling by the state’s Superior Court last year reset the bar to file lawsuits against the church over sexual misconduct claims.
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