Lawyers Allege Rockville Diocese Filed for Bankruptcy Too Soon

Lawyers for the Diocese of Rockville Centre’s creditors allege the diocese is trying to shut the gates on sexual abuse claims too soon, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The Rockville Diocese, which covers all of Long Island except Brooklyn and Queens, filed for bankruptcy in October. The filing is now seen by the creditors as an attempt to halt hundreds of lawsuits from victims of alleged sexual abuse by clergy. The diocese, which is the eighth largest in the U.S., recently asked to set a Feb. 17, 2021, deadline for victims to assert claims, WSJ reported.

The unsecured creditors of the diocese have asked a New York bankruptcy judge to reject the diocese’s deadline, saying it doesn’t give sex abuse victims enough time to seek restitution. The claim deadline would fall almost six months before the deadline for child sex abuse civil actions established under New York’s Child Victims Act, Law360 stated. The window for restitution for victims should abide by state law, the lawyers claim.

Bloomberg reported in October that the diocese’s bankruptcy was due to sex abuse lawsuits and COVID-19.