A recent article posted on Delawareonline.com reported that a Superior Court Judge has ruled that a wrongful death lawsuit filed by parents of a teen who committed suicide in 1987 may proceed using the terms of Delaware's Child Victim's Act.
The Child Victim's Act, passed in 2007, allowed for a two year window in which clergy abuse survivors could file lawsuits against their abusers no matter how long ago the abuse occurred, effectively eliminating the statute of limitations for this brief period.
Though 19-year-old Kevin Heaney is deceased, his parents are filing suit stating that his suicide was directly caused by continued sexual abuse by Edward Dudzinski. Dudzinski was a priest in the Wilmington Diocese at the time and is accused of sexually abusing Heaney for three years.
Defendants named in the suit are Dudzinski, St. Mary Magdalen parish and the Wilmington Diocese.
The judge who ruled in favor of the Heaney family went on to write that "There is no dispute that if Kevin Heaney were alive today he would be recognized as a 'victim' under the Child Victim's Act and thus he would have a right of action against Defendants."
If you or a loved one has been sexually abused by a Catholic priest, you could be able to receive compensation for your suffering. Contact a clergy abuse attorney at the Zalkin Law Firm today. We have extensive experience handling these types of cases and we will work to defend your legal rights.
