Profile Facts
- Name
- David F. West
- Role
- Priest
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Detroit
- Ordained
- 1963
- Status
- Accused
- Died
- 4/23/2004
- Records
- Diocesan and public records
Father David F. West, ordained in 1963, is a priest of the Archdiocese of Detroit who faces accusations of sexual abuse involving minors. White Law PLLC’s clergy sexual abuse lawyers represent survivors throughout Michigan; here is what has been publicly reported about Father David F. West.
What follows is a summary of Father David F. West’s assignments, the accusations on the public record, and the civil and criminal avenues Michigan law provides. Survivors deserve clear information, and that is what this page aims to give.
Sexual Abuse in the Archdiocese of Detroit
State investigators have been examining clergy abuse in Michigan since the Attorney General’s 2018 investigation, with the Archdiocese of Detroit included in that effort. If Father David F. West abused you, a Michigan clergy sexual abuse lawyer at our firm can walk you through the findings.
Michigan is home to seven Catholic dioceses, Diocese of Lansing, Diocese of Grand Rapids, Diocese of Kalamazoo, Diocese of Saginaw, Diocese of Marquette, Diocese of Gaylord, Archdiocese of Detroit. The Attorney General’s office has released detailed reports on several of them, and the findings for the Archdiocese of Detroit help document the allegations against Father David F. West.
The Allegations Against Father David F. West
Where He Served
David F. West was ordained in 1963 and served in the Archdiocese of Detroit, where he worked in about 20 parishes, according to published diocesan records. He died on April 23, 2004, at age 65. In December 2015, the Archdiocese announced a credible allegation that West sexually abused a male minor in the 1970s, and he was included on its June 10, 2019 list of credibly accused clergy.
What Survivors Reported
Public records on West are limited to the Archdiocese’s announcement: a credible allegation of sexual abuse of a male minor in the 1970s. No further details about the allegation have been publicly released.
West died in 2004 and is no longer alive for anyone to pursue criminal charges against him. A civil case against his estate or the Archdiocese may still be possible.
Criminal vs. Civil Sexual Abuse Cases
Michigan law treats abuse by clergy such as Father David F. West through two separate systems. Criminal prosecution is the government’s case and aims at punishment, while a civil claim belongs to the survivor and aims at compensation. A survivor may pursue a civil case regardless of whether criminal charges were ever filed.
A survivor abused by Father David F. West can bring a civil lawsuit against him directly, against his estate where applicable, and against the diocese or order that placed him in ministry. Liability can attach when church officials knew or should have known of the threat and still failed to prevent the abuse, hid it, or used poor screening and training practices. Compensation may cover medical and therapy expenses, pain and suffering, and emotional distress.
Statute of Limitations on Clergy Sexual Abuse Cases in Michigan
Michigan Legislature §600.5805 controls the civil deadline for claims involving Father David F. West: survivors typically have ten years from the abuse or until their 28th birthday to sue. First-degree criminal sexual conduct, by contrast, carries no statute of limitations under Michigan law.
Delayed reporting is the norm, not the exception, in cases involving clergy such as Father David F. West. Memory loss and trauma responses can keep survivors from recognizing or disclosing abuse until decades later. Michigan law’s longer civil window was built with that reality in mind.
View All Accused Clergy in Michigan
Pursue Justice With Help From White Law PLLC
If you were abused by Father David F. West, please reach out. White Law PLLC offers confidential consultations at (517) 316-1195.
Every consultation is private, and there is no obligation. Sharing your story with an experienced attorney is the first step toward holding Father David F. West, and any institution that protected him, accountable.
Profiles summarize published records and allegations. Inclusion does not constitute a legal finding.