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The Diocese of Rockville Centre, Child Sex Abuse, and the Rule of Law

Rheingold Greg Hein Law

Title: The Diocese of Rockville Centre, Child Sex Abuse, and the Rule of Law

Author: Thomas P. Giuffra

Publisher: Rheingold Law RGRP website

Date: 25MAY2020

The NY Post published an article about my courageous client Greg Hein who has filed a lawsuit against the Diocese of Rockville Centre for sexual abuse when he was a minor.  It’s ironic that the lawsuit would have remained just one of 44 filed since January (that’s when the Child Victims Act took effect) against the Diocese of Rockville Centre.  It probably would have not received any media attention if it were not for the fact that the Diocese hired a private investigator to dig up dirt on my client.  Once I discovered this, I filed an emergency Order to Show Cause to determine how this investigator discovered my client had been in rehabilitation.  The investigator even knew the name and contact information of the roommate.  In the Affidavit I submitted to the Court, I provided the background history of the Diocese, in particular the 2003 Grand Jury Report which concluded in part, “that the history of the Diocese of Rockville Centre demonstrates that as an institution they are incapable of properly handling issues relating to the sexual abuse of children by priests. The Grand Jury concludes that this was more than simple incompetence. The evidence before the Grand Jury clearly demonstrates that Diocesan officials agreed to engage in conduct that resulted in the prevention, hindrance and delay in the discovery of criminal conduct by priests. They conceived and agreed to a plan using deception and intimidation to prevent victims from seeking legal solutions to their problems. This included victims  who  were  seeking  compensation  for  their  injuries  in  the  civil  courts.  There, Diocesan officials pursued aggressive legal strategies to dismiss time barred claims and improperly named parties. They insisted upon confidentiality agreements in cases that were settled. This policy put children at risk inasmuch as victims were prohibited by law from speaking out about the criminal conduct of sexually  abusive  priests.  Absent  the  adoption  of  these  recommendations,  the  Grand Jury  does  not believe  that  the  Diocese  of  Rockville  Centre  has  the  demonstrated  capability  to properly handle the issues of clergy sexual abuse.”

For more information visit:

https://www.rheingoldlaw.com/blog/2020/may/the-diocese-of-rockville-centre-child-sex-abuse-/

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