Bill Donohue Condemns “Anti-Catholic” Ad That Helps Child Sex Abuse Victims

There are a few states where the window for filing child sex abuse claims has extended in response to the Catholic Church’s scandals. Because adults may only be realizing now how much harm was done to them as a child, these extensions allow them to seek justice for what they suffered.

If you live in one of those states — like New York, New Jersey, or California — you might even see a commercial like this on TV from lawyers trying to help people file those claims.

There’s a reason they’re calling out the Catholic Church specifically; it’s an institution that has a long history of abuse and cover-up. Many, many victims have come forth in the past couple of decades and there are undoubtedly more who haven’t said anything.

Who could possibly be upset about those victims getting a chance at restitution?

The Catholic League and its chief blowhard Bill Donohue, who tries to change the subject before doing his version of race-baiting.

If someone has been violated by a minister, rabbi, imam, school teacher, coach, psychologist, psychiatrist, athletic administrator, camp counselor, guidance counselor, Hollywood studio official, media employee, doctor, nurse, lawyer — or anyone else — he can take a walk. They are not interested. They are only interested in going after priests.

“If you are a victim of crime committed by an African American, and would like help in filing a claim against him, contact us now.”

Would any firm in the United States run such an ad? Would any media outlet accept it?

If synagogues and nurses suffered from the same institutional child sex abuse problems as the Catholic Church, then we’d be having a different conversation. They don’t. But because there are so many cases involving priests, and because there’s a pattern that makes these cases similar to each other, it makes perfect sense to seek out the many potential clients in that one area instead of doing a broader search for child sex abuse victims in general. It’s the same reason you might see commercials from attorneys seeking clients who struggle with mesothelioma specifically and not other medical conditions.

It’s telling that Donohue calls that ad “anti-Catholic” when it’s actually anti-sex abuse. Leave it to the Catholic League to see people challenging rape at the hands of priest and jump into defense mode.

Donohue has nothing to say, of course, about the victims. He’s not encouraging them to speak up. He’s not expressing gratitude to those who have filed successful lawsuits for exposing the rot inside the Catholic Church. He’s mad that anyone’s pointing at the problem. He would much rather sweep child sex abuse under the rug — as is tradition in the Church — than watch victims get justice.