FORTNEY FAMILY TO ANNOUNCE FILING LAWSUIT AT DECEMBER 2 PRESS CONFERENCE IN NEWARK
At a press conference in Newark, New Jersey on December 2, 2019, Fortney Family sisters Patty Fortney-Julius and Lara Fortney-McKeever, along with their attorney, Benjamin D.
Andreozzi, Esq., will announce the filing of a civil lawsuit against the Archdiocese of Newark and the Diocese of Harrisburg (PA) under New Jersey’s newly enacted civil window legislation. Patty and Lara’s lawsuit outlines priest Augustine Giella’s heinous sexual abuse of multiple of the Fortney Family sisters, including Patty and Lara, and the cover-up of his crimes by the Newark Archdiocese and Harrisburg Diocese. As the lawsuit outlines, Giella was incardinated into the Newark Archdiocese, but transferred to the Harrisburg Diocese, where he met the Fortney Family. He then abused the Fortney Family sisters in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
According to their attorney after years of silence, the Fortney Family sisters have become advocates for survivors of sexual abuse across the nation. They now travel the country speaking on the issue of child sexual abuse and lobbying state legislatures to change laws that disadvantage survivors, including in New Jersey. Several of the Fortney Family sisters will be available to answer questions regarding their journey and the filing of their civil case.
The announcement will be made Monday at 10 a.m. at the Comfort
Suites Newark-Harrison
1348 McCarter Hwy.,
Newark, NJ 07104
The sisters are being represented by
Lindsey Gibson of
Andreozzi & Associates, P.C.