Daniel McCormack, one of Chicago’s most notorious sex offenders in the Catholic church’s sex abuse scandal, completed his five-year sentence in 2009 after he was jailed for molesting 5 boys in Chicago’s St. Agatha Parish. At the school, he worked as a priest, teacher, and basketball coach. In addition to those 5 boys, court records show that many other boys and young men alleged that McCormick molested them in their youth while at St. Agatha Parish on Chicago’s West Side. Since his arrest, he has remained in custody at a detention facility in Illinois for sex offenders. The now-defrocked priest has been there ever since waiting to learn his fate. In 2017, Judge Dennis Porter declared McCormack a "sexually violent person" who should remain indefinitely in a state facility for sex offenders. In 2018, that was finalized and the priest was committed indefinitely to a state facility for sex offenders. This means that the state believed his crimes rose to a level that was serious enough—and he had a high enough chance of reoffending—that he should be held for life in prison. However, just recently in May 2021, an appellate court reversed the decision to hold McCormack indefinitely, saying prosecutors failed to prove that McCormack is "substantially likely to re-offend". [Read the Appeal Court Document here.]
Sex Abuse Survivors Call On Attorney General To Keep Convicted Former Chicago Priest Behind Bars
Since the appellate court reversed the life sentence, survivors of sexual abuse gathered Thursday asking for the public's help to keep the former Chicago priest in state custody. The survivors of sexual abuse at the hands of Daniel McCormack recently gave an emotional plea in which they begged prosecutors to keep him behind bars. These survivors and their supporters are planning a public campaign to encourage more abuse victims to come forward. Local legal experts, who do not represent McCormack, said the appellate court ruled that the state failed to meet its burden to prove McCormack is a significant danger to society. Technically, McCormack has served his time already and has been held beyond his sentence. But this does not mean he is definitely a free man. A spokeswoman with Illinois’ attorney general’s office said they plan to take on McCormack’s case. “We disagree with the appellate court’s decision and believe Daniel McCormack qualifies for commitment under the Sexually Violent Persons Act,” Annie Thompson said Thursday to Washington Post. “We intend to seek further review by the Illinois Supreme Court.”What Damages Can a Sexual Abuse Victim Recover from their Abuser or the Church?
Sexual assault is not only a crime in America, but it’s also a civil issue. This means that sex abuse victims and their families can seek financial compensation from the perpetrator and any organizations that helped to facilitate or cover the crime up. This financial compensation is designed to compensate victims for any physical, emotional, and mental harm caused by the abuse. It may also cover future damages the victim will continue to suffer as a result of the sexual abuse. And as you will see below, this can be substantial since all the damage from sexual assault is not always evident immediately. The type of compensation and the amount of compensation that is available to a sexual abuse victim depends on the specific facts and circumstances of their case. Hiring an experienced sexual assault injury attorney is the best way to ensure that you are getting all the compensation you are entitled to and that future issues are being taken into consideration Common Damages Caused by Sexual Abuse
Damages in a personal injury case refer to the costs and losses suffered by the injured party. This can include direct costs like bills, or emotional costs like PTSD or depression. Damages from sexual assault, like those that occur when a person is abused at the hands of a priest, church, or other trusted member of society, can include:- Medical bills, hospital stays, medications, and other medical expenses
- Therapy and counseling treatment costs
- Psychiatric treatment costs
- Physical pain and suffering
- Emotional pain and suffering
- Lost wages from missed time from work
- Cost of having to move to a different town or state
- And any other reasonable costs associated with the sexual abuse
Sexual Assault Survivors Have a Higher Risk of Serious Emotional Damage
In addition to the typical damages that sexual assault and sexual abuse survivors suffer, like medical bills and lost wages, many sex abuse survivors also suffer serious emotional damage. For example, sexual abuse survivors, like those who are abused by trusted members of the church while they were children. are at a much higher risk of:- Self-Harm and Suicide
- Drug and Alcohol Abuse
- Dangerous Sexually Activity and STDs
- Depression
- Anxiety and Panic Attack Disorders
- Eating Disorders
- Sleep Disorders
- and PTSD