A judge in Salta, Argentina, found that four clergy committed gender violence against 20 Discalced Carmelite nuns of the San Bernardo convent. The nuns brought their case in 2022, and the ruling was issued on April 5, 2024.
No MDL has been formed for abuse of nuns or abuse by nuns in Catholic convents. The Salta case is a civil case heard in Argentina, and no U.S. case is named for these claims.
Nuns, former nuns and people who say a nun abused them, for example at a Catholic school, may be affected. Reports and rulings do not prove any one person’s claim.
- Case or litigation name: No single case; individual claims. Reported case: Discalced Carmelite nuns against Archbishop Mario Cargnello and others (Salta, Argentina)
- Defendants: Salta case: Archbishop Mario Cargnello, Bishop Martín de Elizalde, Father Loyola Pinto de Sancristóval and Father Lucio Ajaya
- Court and docket number, when available: Salta civil court, Argentina (Judge Carolina Cáceres Moreno); docket number not stated in the reports; no U.S. case named. MDL list: Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation
- MDL number, judge, and case count, when an MDL exists: No MDL
- Filing date: The Salta nuns brought their case in 2022; exact date not stated
- Main allegations: Allegations of verbal insults, threats, humiliation and physical, psychological and economic gender violence by clergy over more than 20 years; the clergy deny them
- Products or people involved: 20 Discalced Carmelite nuns of San Bernardo convent, Salta, Argentina
Table Of Contents
Latest Catholic Nun Convent Abuse Lawsuit Updates
April 5, 2024: Salta Judge Issues Ruling Against Archbishop and Clergy
A civil judge in Salta found the four clergy liable for gender violence. The judge ordered treatment and training for the nuns, EWTN News reported [1].
The National Catholic Register said Judge Carolina Cáceres Moreno ruled against Archbishop Mario Cargnello and three other clergy [2]. The archbishop’s lawyer said an appeal had been filed.
April 10, 2019: WHYY Reports on Nuns Credibly Accused
WHYY reported that survivors of abuse by nuns were asking to be counted. The report followed a grand jury report released in August 2018 [3].
About 100 nuns in the United States had been credibly accused, per lists kept by BishopAccountability. That means an allegation led to a lawsuit or a news story.
What Is Catholic Nun Abuse?
Abuse in Catholic religious life covers abuse of nuns by clergy and abuse by nuns. WHYY says survivors of abuse by women in religious orders feel their stories are pushed aside.
The Associated Press report carried by VOA said such abuse in religious life is more and more aired and denounced [4].
Who May Be Affected?
Nuns and former nuns who say clergy or superiors abused them in a convent may be affected. So may people who say a nun abused them, such as a nun who taught at a Catholic high school.
The VOA report described nuns, laywomen and consecrated women who denounce abuse. The abuse was spiritual, psychological, physical or sexual. WHYY said victims of nuns are not eligible for the pay programs some dioceses made.
Claims are individual. A claim depends on the facts and on state law, so qualification requires an individual legal review.
Reported Injuries or Damages
The Salta nuns alleged verbal insults, threats and humiliation. The VOA report said they describe the archbishop as grabbing, slapping and shaking women. Their complaints also cited economic harm, including an unreturned loan.
The judge found psychological, physical and economic gender violence. The ruling made no finding of sexual abuse. UCA News reported that the ruling runs 87 pages [5].
One survivor told WHYY about later addiction and asked for money for PTSD. Those are her own account. No court has made findings on it.
Evidence to Preserve
Keep anything that shows what happened and when, even if the papers are old:
- Letters, emails, texts and journals
- Photographs and recordings
- Medical and counseling records
- Names of people who saw the abuse or were told about it
- Membership, school, assignment or residence records for the order or parish
- Any report to the order, diocese or police, and the replies
- Any settlement or release you already signed
A signed release matters. WHYY reported that one survivor gave up her right to sue when she took a settlement. Keep a copy of every document you received.
Filing Deadlines
Filing deadlines come from state law. They differ by where the survivor lives and when the abuse and its recognition happened.
Some states have lifted time limits for old claims, and others have not. Late filing can end a claim. Talk to a lawyer soon about your own deadline.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can A Nun Sue the Catholic Church for Abuse?
A nun can sue the Catholic Church for abuse in civil court. In Salta, Argentina, the nuns brought their case in 2022, and the Holy See had sent Bishop de Elizalde to the convent as an apostolic visitor in 2021.
Who Can Be Held Responsible for Convent Abuse?
Responsibility for convent abuse depends on who did it. WHYY reported that the Sisters of Charity of St. Elizabeth paid survivor Patricia Cahill $70,000 in an out-of-court settlement. That is one survivor’s settlement only.
What Does the Research Say About Nun Abuse?
The research on nun abuse, as WHYY reported, shows known cases are few in number relative to abuse by priests. It set about 100 accused nuns against the 2004 John Jay report, which counted more than 10,000 accusations against more than 4,000 male clergy between 1950 and 2002.
How Many People Told SNAP That Nuns Abused Them?
More than 60 people told the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests that nuns sexually assaulted them since the grand jury report came out, WHYY reported. These are reports to an advocacy group, not court findings.
References
- https://www.ewtnnews.com/world/americas/argentine-archbishop-found-guilty-of-gender-based-violence-against-nuns-defense-lawyer-appeals
- https://www.ncregister.com/cna/argentine-archbishop-found-guilty-of-gender-based-violence-against-nuns
- https://whyy.org/articles/invisible-victims-survivors-of-sexual-abuse-by-nuns-demand-to-be-counted/
- https://www.voanews.com/a/argentine-judge-recognizes-gender-abuse-suffered-for-years-by-20-nuns-/7559997.html
- https://www.ucanews.com/news/argentine-bishop-clergy-found-liable-for-gender-based-violence/104748