St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church—Clergy Sexual Abuse in Camarillo, CA
Places of worship should be safe havens to celebrate and honor your faith. But what happens when that place becomes abusive?
The Catholic Church has been proclaiming a zero tolerance stance on clergy sexual abuse for decades. Millions of dollars have been paid out by the diocese nationally as result of sexual abuse perpetrated by its clergy members, and there are still hundreds of claims awaiting hearings in California.
If you are a survivor of church sexual abuse, we encourage you to break your silence and take legal action against your abuser and the institution that enabled, and in some instances, covered up, the sexual abuse. Some churches have experienced a disproportional amount of sexual abuse due to the presence of priests who have been identified as prolific sexual predetors over the course of several years. St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church is one such church. If you have experienced clergy sexual abuse at St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church in Camarillo, California, you are not alone.
The professional legal team at Boucher LLP understands the courage it takes to stand up for yourself after the abuse has occurred, and we are here to support you. Contact us today.
Do I Have a Case Against The Church?
Many survivors of church sexual abuse were children at the time the abuse took place and may not recall all the details of the abuser. This may be because of their age at the time of the abuse, the psychological impact of the trauma they endured, or their intentional or subconscious efforts to forget. If you can remember the name and location of the church where you were sexually abused, you may still be able to seek justice. In most cases, the church abuse claim is filed against the church and the diocese and not the individual responsible.
St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church Sexual Abuse Cases
Located at 2532 Ventura Blvd. Camarillo, CA 93010, St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church has been linked to multiple cases of sexual abuse.
- Father George Neville Rucker was serving at St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church from 1959-1960. He served at a number of different churches for over 40 years and so far, at least 38 survivors have come forward alleging Father Rucker sexually abused them.
- Father Carl Sutphin was charged with 10 counts of felony molestation. Sutphin became close with two of the survivors while working as an associate pastor at St. Mary Magdalen Church in Camarillo from 1971 to 1975.
Clergy sexual abuse is largely underreported, and it is very likely that these church sexual abuse cases are not the only ones that occurred at St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church in Camarillo, CA.
Choosing to Come Forward About Church Sexual Abuse
Any person who’s received unwanted sexual attention or advances is a survivor of sexual abuse. Sexual abuse includes both physical and non-physical interactions. Common types of church sexual abuse include:
- Unwanted sexual advances,
- Touching someone’s genitals,
- Forcing someone to see pornographic images,
- Any sexual interaction (physical or non-physical) with a minor,
- Performing nonconsensual oral sex on someone,
- Exposing genitals,
- Distribution of explicit photos, and
- Nonconsensual sexual penetration.
It is important to remember that any sort of sexual interaction with a minor is illegal. In California, no one under the age of 18 has the legal capacity to give sexual consent.
Justice for Church Sexual Abuse Survivors
The team at Boucher, LLP specializes in taking legal action against church sexual abuse and all those who abuse power, helping survivors find their voice, and achieving meaningful justice. You may be entitled to compensation for your suffering. Though no monetary amount can ever reverse what has been done, it can serve as a way to make abusers and the dioceses and churches that allowed and or covered up the abuse pay for their behavior.
Boucher LLP has settled several multimillion-dollar cases, securing justice for sexual abuse survivors. This includes a $660 million settlement in 2007 between survivors of childhood sexual abuse and the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.
We’re here to support and guide you through the process of exposing the truth and beginning to heal. Contact Boucher LLP to schedule your case consultation.