Dr. Jennifer Balboni, (Ph.D. ’06) has authored her first academic book, Clergy Sexual Abuse Litigation: Survivors Seeking Justice, now published by FirstForumPress. Dr. Balboni is an Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice at Simmons College.
Jennifer Balboni explores the experiences of clergy sex abuse survivors who sought justice through the court system, highlighting the promise and shortfalls of civil litigation in providing justice. Balboni draws on cases across the country such as the landmark 2002 lawsuit against the Roman Catholic Church to show how legal procedures that focused on financial settlements overlooked the survivors’ overarching desire to see the Church publicly acknowledge its wrongdoing. Her analysis underscores the gap between public and legal perceptions of justice and gives fresh insight into the complex ways that civil litigation can transform the lives of crime victims.
