Two lawsuits filed in the 90’s targeted dioceses’ in Rapid City and Sioux Falls South Dakota, fighting obstinance and a lack of response from church officials over clergy sex abuse claims. Both Robert Koenig and Kurt Brick ended up agreeing to settlements. But what of all the Catholic Church abuse, Catholic priest abuse, church sexual abuse, and Catholic Church sex abuse victims that have remained silent? As many Catholic sex abuse scandals as there have been the past decade, there are plenty of clergy abuse and priest abuse victims still out there who never received the justice that they deserved. It’s high time that there was some bishop accountability, and that church sex abuse and other child sex abuse victims get the peace and justice that they deserve. http://www.bishop-accountability.org/news13/2002_04_14_Callison_ConfrontingClergy_Neuroth_AND_Lambert_2.htm

In many cases, those that WERE sexually abused are being persecuted in South Dakots. Take the child sex state law, HB 1104, penned by written by former church defense attorney Steve Smith, sponsored by South Dakota Representative Thomas Deadrick, Senator Cooper Garnos, and Representative Kent Juhnke. The law prevents many adults that were sexually abused during their childhood from exposing abusers, protect other people from the effects of such abuse, and from gaining justice. The bill was ramrodded through to protect the church. http://www.bishop-accountability.org/news2010/03_04/2010_03_08_Harriman_LawmakersWant.htm This particularly affects former Indian boarding school sex abuse victims, who feel singled out and slighted by the law.

Clergy sex abuse lawyer Samuel Rogatinsky wants to help you find justice, and now is the time to act. Aside from church sex abuse and clergy abuse cases, Sam will expose child sex abusers from every type of organization or institution imaginable. Mr. Rogatinsky even filed a sex abuse suit against a mental health facility abusing a patient. The Rogatinsky Firm will handle child sexual abuse and sex abuse cases against churches, schools, even medical professionals such as psychologists, dentists and doctors. Sex abuse is a serious crime, and the Rogatinsky Firm will exhaust every resource at their disposal before giving up on a case. Call Sam on the toll free number found on this site or at (954) 995-3805. Mr. Rogatinsky believes child sex abuse survivors need therapy and support, not just settlements. He will put you in touch with support groups such as http://www.childhelp.org/ and http://www.snapnetwork.org/.

The statute of limitations for South Dakota are listed here:

Statute of Limitations for Civil Cases:

  • There is a 3 year Statute of Limitations for child sexual abuse cases which must be filed within 3 years of the sex abuse itself or within 3 years of reasonable discovery, meaning from the time you discover that the injury was caused by the sex abuse itself. S.D. Codified Laws § 26-10-25 (2008).
  • South Dakota’s Statute of Limitations allows for child sexual abuse civil cases to be brought within 3 years of date victim discovered or should have reasonably discovered that the alleged sex abuse injury was caused by the sex abuse itself. DeLonga v. Diocese of Sioux Falls, 329 F.Supp.2d 1092 (2004); Stratmeyer v. Stratmeyer, 567 N.W.2d 220 (SD 1997) (overruling Koenig v. Lambert, 527 N.W.2d 903 (S.D. 1995).

Statute of Limitations for Criminal Cases:

There is no Statute of Limitations based on Class A, B or C sexual abuse felonies. § 23A-42-1 (2008). SDCL § 22-22-1 A sex abuse victim can file charges any time prior to the victim’s 25th birthday tor within 7 years of the abuse, whichever is longer. S.D. Codified Laws § 22-22-1 (2008). S.D. Codified Laws § 22-22-7 (2008). There is a 7 year Statute of Limitations for all other sex abuse charges. S.D. Codified Laws § 23A-42-2 (2008).

 

If someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse by a member of the clergy, contact our law firm at (954) 995.3805 or send an email to sexual abuse lawyer Samuel Rogatinsky at samr@clergyabuse.org