Father Lawrence Hecker,91, of New Orleans, has been the subject of allegations for years.  He is now under arrest on charges of aggravated kidnapping, aggravated rape, aggravated crimes against nature, and theft. He admits he sexually abused several teenagers while with the Orleans Diocese. Hecker was diagnosed in 1989 as a pedophile. In 2000, he was assigned to St. Charles Borromeo in Destrehan, a small town in Louisiana. A church with an elementary school.  He retired in 2002. The church has paid his pension until 2020.

You are not alone.

Andreozzi + Foote lawyers offer experience and a trauma-informed approach when seeking justice for our clients.

How Can A Civil Lawsuit Help Victims Seek Justice For The Trauma They May Have Experienced Father Lawrence Hecker?

There are many misunderstandings about why a survivor of sexual abuse would choose to file a civil lawsuit.   Child sexual abuse takes away so much from the survivors and families impacted. Our society still struggles to find ways to repair the harm done by individual perpetrators and institutions that have covered up child sexual abuse.  Outdated statutes of limitations across our country leave far too many survivors denied access to our criminal or civil justice courts.

Filing a civil case can be an essential step for survivors and their families in their journey to slowly rebuild their lives and create pathways to healing.  Motivation for filing a civil suit is often questioned and unfairly stereotyped as being “all about money. This couldn’t be further from the truth for survivors of child sexual abuse. The civil justice system offers victims more than just monetary benefits.  It gives survivors access to justice, validation, exposure, confrontation, and ultimately some resolution. The resolution allows survivors of sexual abuse to understand and process what happened and create a new path forward without confusion, questions, and fear.

Can I File A Lawsuit Against the Diocese of Syracuse?

Yes. You have rights if victimized by Father Lawrence Hecker while employed at the Orleans Diocese.