Amidst the continuing allegations against priests and other officials in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, one relevant legal consideration has repeatedly blocked the efforts of district attorneys to prosecute the alleged offenders. Under the statutes of limitations for sex crimes, as dictated by Pennsylvania law, most cases could not be prosecuted by the time victims came forward and reported their abuse.

However, a recent change in Pennsylvania law extended the relevant statute of limitations as it applies to civil lawsuits. As a result, a lawsuit filed by a 23-year-old man against the archdiocese may be the first case in the ongoing string of accusations and allegations to actually be heard in court.

The man, known in court documents as 'Billy Doe,' is also involved in a current criminal case against the archdiocese. In the civil suit, the man alleges that church officials knowingly placed him in harm's way by placing him under the supervision of a known abuser.

Specifically, the lawsuit claims that church officials exhibited "callous indifference to the safety and well-being of children" by allowing a priest to have private contact with children despite a psychiatrist's recommendation that the priest not be given unsupervised access to children.

The lawsuit names several defendants, including the former head of the archdiocesan clergy office, two priests and a parochial school teacher. The latter three individuals are accused of sexual abuse, and are also facing criminal charges. All have pleaded not guilty. The former is accused of conspiring to endanger the welfare of children by allegedly offering a "safe haven" in the Philadelphia archdiocese to priests accused of sexual abuse in other locations.

Source: Philadelphia Inquirer, "Plaintiff in criminal case against Philly archdiocese sues over alleged sex abuse," David O'Reilly, 27 July 2011