Profile Facts
- Name
- Eduard Perrone
- Role
- Priest
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Detroit
- Ordained
- 1978
- Status
- Accused
- Records
- Diocesan and public records
Standing up to a beloved parish priest can feel impossible, but survivors do not have to do it alone. The clergy sexual abuse lawyers at White Law PLLC represent Michigan survivors with courage and discretion, taking on even the most high-profile cases.
Father Eduard Perrone served 25 years as pastor of Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Detroit before his suspension in 2019 over an allegation of childhood sexual abuse. His case has involved Vatican review, defamation litigation, and dueling lawsuits. This page summarizes the reported record and outlines Michigan survivors’ legal options.
Sexual Abuse in the Archdiocese of Detroit
The Archdiocese of Detroit is the largest of Michigan’s seven Catholic dioceses, which also include the Dioceses of Grand Rapids, Saginaw, Lansing, Kalamazoo, Gaylord, and Marquette. The Michigan Attorney General’s statewide clergy-abuse investigation, begun in 2018, has kept the archdiocese’s handling of accused priests under close public scrutiny.
A Michigan clergy sexual abuse lawyer can help survivors navigate complex cases like Perrone’s, where church politics and litigation have obscured the underlying allegations.
The Allegations Against Father Eduard Perrone
Suspension in 2019
Published records indicate that Perrone was suspended on July 5, 2019, after the archdiocese found that an allegation of sexual abuse of a boy decades earlier had “a semblance of truth.” Perrone denied the allegation. He was accused of inviting altar boys to a lake house, wrestling with them in the water, and sometimes groping them. A second former altar boy came forward after Perrone’s removal, alleging the priest rubbed his genitals in 1981. The case was sent to the Vatican, which declined to pursue it.
Lawsuits and Counterclaims
Perrone co-founded Opus Bono Sacerdotii in 2002, a group formed to support priests accused of abuse. A woman whose father co-founded Opus Bono spoke out about Perrone’s alleged abuse of boys and said he gave her alcohol in the rectory beginning when she was 12; he sued her for defamation. In February 2020, his parishioners sued the archdiocese, claiming it had “fabricated” a rape charge against Perrone. In July 2020, an arbitration panel found Perrone had been the target of defamation and awarded him $125,000, and in September 2020 he sued Msgr. Michael Bugarin as well. Because Perrone is living, criminal options may still exist, and civil claims apply regardless of any criminal outcome.
Criminal vs. Civil Sexual Abuse Cases
Criminal cases punish offenders; civil cases compensate survivors. That distinction matters: a survivor’s lawsuit for damages proceeds on its own track, with its own burden of proof, and does not require prosecutors to act first or a conviction to result.
Michigan law also allows survivors to sue the church institution itself. If archdiocesan officials knew or should have known about the danger and failed to prevent the abuse, concealed reports, or fell short on screening and training, the archdiocese may be held liable.
Statute of Limitations on Clergy Sexual Abuse Cases in Michigan
Michigan’s civil statute of limitations for sexual abuse, MCL §600.5805, generally provides ten years or until the survivor turns 28, whichever is later. First-degree criminal sexual conduct has no time limit. The extended civil deadline reflects the reality that trauma and memory suppression often keep survivors silent for years.
Each case has unique timing issues, so early legal advice is the best way to make sure no deadline passes unnoticed.
View All Accused Clergy in Michigan
Pursue Justice With Help From White Law PLLC
If Father Eduard Perrone or any other priest harmed you, Michigan law may entitle you to damages for medical and therapy expenses, pain and suffering, and emotional distress. White Law PLLC has the resources and resolve to face powerful church institutions, and we protect your privacy throughout.
Call (517) 316-1195 today for a confidential conversation about your options.
Profiles summarize published records and allegations. Inclusion does not constitute a legal finding.