Vermont's Roman Catholic Diocese has had two new lawsuits filed against it reports the Burlington Free Press. The lawsuits claim that the Diocese deliberately transferred assets to other separate entities to cause it to be more difficult for victims of clergy abuse to gain compensation for damages.
The two suits were filed in both state and federal court by 27 individuals who have cases awaiting trial in Burlington and for 3 other victims who won damages and are awaiting rulings on appeals of their cases.
The named defendants are the Diocese, Bishop Salvatore Matan, Monsignor John McDermott, the Diocecan Chancellor, as well as Martin Haok, the financial officer of the Diocese. The suit claims that in 2005 the Diocese and its top officials began to shift assets into trusts and put the assets "beyond the reach" of sexual abuse victims with claims. The assets transferred at the time included titles to several hundred properties as well as part of the Diocese's investment portfolio.
Victims of clergy abuse have every right to fight for fair compensation for suffering the abuse. In some cases, the individuals have suffered their whole lives with various issues that came about from the abuse. If you or a loved one has been a victim of clergy abuse, you can get the assistance of a clergy abuse attorney. The legal team at the Zalkin Law Firm has helped countless individuals collect monetary damages in clergy abuse cases. The team understands the humiliation and embarrassment many face and treat the clients with the kindness and understanding they deserve.
