Episcopal Diocese of Colorado faces criminal

Man in shadow. (Photo by Lacie Slezak on Unsplash)

The Episcopal Diocese of Colorado is now facing a new lawsuit after its former priest, Rev. Jerry McKenzie, was accused of sexually assaulting some former members of the religious organization.

According to Fox 31's latest report, the victim claimed that he was sexually abused by the former reverend back in 1995 when he was just 16 years old.

Aside from him, the complainant also claimed that his friends also experienced sexual assaults.

Episcopal Diocese of Colorado Faces Criminal Charges

As of press time, the man who filed the lawsuit against the former reverend and the Episcopal Diocese of Colorado prefers not to be named.

Although this is the case, authorities said that the man is identified as John HA Doe, which is still unclear if this is his real name or not.

"I filed this lawsuit because the Diocese needs to be held accountable for what happened to me, and also for the others that McKenzie wronged during the course of his career as a trusted and revered religious figure," said the complainant.

He added that adults in the Episcopal Diocese of Colorado failed to protect them from harm. Now, John HA Doe is looking for the justice that he and his friends deserve.

Experts explained that although the alleged sexual abuse was conducted years ago, it still falls under the passage of the Child Sexual Abuse Accountability Act, as reported by The Denver Channel.

Jessica Arbour, one of the lawyers representing the Colorado man, explained that the mentioned law against sexual abuse covers assaults that happened between Jan. 1, 1960, and Jan. 1, 2022.

What Episcopal Diocese of Colorado Says

Since the lawsuit is a serious one, the Episcopal Diocese of Colorado also shared its response to the alleged criminal charges against the organization itself, as well as the former reverend.

The religious organization said that the events that happened to John HA Doe took place around the mid-1990s. Because of the sexual allegations that appeared back then, Reverend McKenzie was forced to resign from his position in 2000.

The diocese further explained that the allegations were not really noticed during the time they were active, claiming that they only learned about them recently.

Involved officials added that clergy members are among the most trusted individuals in religious groups. This is why they will cooperate completely with all law enforcement investigations of alleged abuses.

As of writing, there are various ways how to deal with sexual abuse and other kinds of assaults. These include reporting such cases to the National Sexual Assault Hotline, which reportedly handles all these specific types of criminal activities.

Specifically for Colorado residents, those who need to report a related crime on sexual abuse may call this specific number; 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

There are some instances when complainants are worried that their identity will be disclosed right away.

Because of this, the hotline promises everyone with confidentiality, long-term support within their areas, helpful resources to guide them in their next steps towards healing their traumas, and many more.