An adult, peering at themselves as when they were a child

The Mormon Church

Attorneys Fighting the Mormon Church for Enabling Child Sexual Abuse

The Mormon Church, also known as the Latter Day Saints Church, has a unique culture that provides a haven for sexual abusers. Of course, child sexual abuse is not meant to be part of the culture — but the Mormon Church leadership enables child sexual abusers to continue destroying people’s lives long after they become aware of the crimes. Because the Mormon Church leaders do not bring known abusers to justice, and even cover up the abusers’ crimes, they are guilty of supporting this behavior and making it possible for more children to be victimized.

The attorneys at Kosnoff Law has launched many lawsuits against the Latter Day Saints (LDS) Church corporation on behalf of people who were sexually abused as children. Kosnoff Law lawyers have learned how child sexual abuse has become rampant among the Mormon Church, and they are committed both to stopping individual abusers and the enablers within the Mormon Church.

A Culture that Enables Child Sexual Abuse

When children or adults abused as children come forth to complain about a sexual predator, they come forth to the adult men of the Mormon congregation. The Mormon Church is an insular religious community: Its bishops and stake presidents insist on handling all allegations internally, and they strongly discourage intervention by outside authorities. Church leaders often cover up or turn a blind eye to evidence of child sexual abuse and attempt to deal with pedophilia exclusively as a matter of sin and not as a crime or a grave threat to children and families. LDS Church General Authorities in Utah have known of the wide spread nature of this problem but continue to deny it and refuse to implement meaningful reforms that can better protect LDS children.

Anyone raised in the Latter Day Saints (LDS) organization is taught great reverence for the power and authority of the priesthood. Too often, protecting the power and image of the male leaders who possess the priesthood is the driving rationalization for covering up their crimes against children.

Dealing with Abuse “In-House” Does Not Work

Unfortunately, these church leaders treat child sexual abuse as a mere sin, not a crime, and do little or nothing to prevent the abusers from continuing their crimes. People who are abused within the Church often know that nothing will be done if they report abuse, and they suffer in silence instead.

Quite simply, this method of handling child sexual abuse allegations is criminal. There are mandatory standards for child abuse reporting that leaders of the LDS church habitually violate. LDS Church officials and its lawyers typically attempt to evade responsibility by hiding behind the “free exercise of religion” clause of the Constitution, statute of limitations technicalities and clergy-penitent privilege statutes.  While church leaders protect themselves and the organization’s reputation, pedophiles within their ranks continue their horrific abuses.

One Lawyers Fighting Against Mormon Church Sexual Abuse

Attorney Tim Kosnoff fought a significant case against the Mormon Church in which one client was paid $3 million to settle out of court. The pattern of abuse supported by the Church was outrageous: The abuser had victimized people in seven states over 18 years, and after each incident, he was simply moved to a different ward. No organization, and especially not a church, should knowingly allow something like this thing to happen.  This case is chronicled in the book “The Sins of Brother Curtis: A Story of Betrayal, Conviction, and the Mormon Church,” by Lisa Davis.  (Simon & Schuster.)

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