CHARLOTTE — Two civil lawsuits have been filed against the Diocese of Charlotte involving past allegations of child sexual abuse by two priests dating from the 1970s and 1980s.
The allegations involve claims of abuse formerly made against the late Father Joseph Kelleher and Father Richard Farwell, in litigation that was dismissed by North Carolina courts in 2012 and 2014.
The two lawsuits were filed in Mecklenburg County Superior Court April 13, citing a new North Carolina law that permits certain claims for childhood sexual abuse to be asserted even if they were previously barred by the statute of limitations.
Kelleher was removed from ministry in 2010 and died in 2014. Farwell was sentenced to probation in 2004 and remains permanently out of ministry. Both were named on the diocese’s Accountability webpage in December 2019.
The diocese issued the following statement in response to the lawsuits being filed:
“The Diocese of Charlotte is aware of two lawsuits, pertaining to allegations that date back to the 1970s and 1980s, filed Monday by individuals whose claims against the diocese were previously dismissed by the North Carolina courts. We disagree that the diocese is liable to the plaintiffs and will respond to the litigation in court at the appropriate time. The diocese takes allegations of child sexual abuse very seriously and remains committed to providing a safe environment for all people, especially the young and vulnerable.”
— Catholic News Herald