Profile Facts
- Name
- Joseph Emile Aubin
- Role
- Priest
- Diocese
- Diocese of Lansing
- Ordained
- 1961
- Status
- Accused
- Died
- 4/15/2020
- Records
- Diocesan and public records
In November 2018, the Diocese of Lansing removed Father Joseph Emile Aubin from public ministry over what it called a credible allegation of sexual misconduct with a minor dating to the 1960s. Ordained in 1961, Aubin died in April 2020. Our clergy sexual abuse lawyers prepared this page to document what is known and to inform survivors of their rights.
A diocese’s own finding that an allegation is credible carries real weight. Even though Aubin can no longer be prosecuted, survivors may still pursue civil claims against the diocese that employed him.
Sexual Abuse in the Diocese of Lansing
The Diocese of Lansing is one of Michigan’s seven Catholic dioceses, alongside the Archdiocese of Detroit and the dioceses of Gaylord, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Marquette, and Saginaw. The Michigan Attorney General’s investigation, launched in 2018, scrutinized all seven dioceses’ handling of abuse complaints. As a Michigan clergy sexual abuse lawyer, White Law PLLC follows these official reports and uses them to support survivors’ cases.
Lansing’s public list of accused priests, first published in 2019, continues to grow as more survivors come forward. If your experience involves a Lansing priest, the diocese’s own admissions may help substantiate your claim.
The Allegations Against Father Joseph Emile Aubin
Where He Served
Aubin was ordained in 1961 and served in the Diocese of Lansing. On November 15, 2018, the diocese announced his removal from public ministry based on a credible allegation of inappropriate sexual behavior with a minor in the 1960s. He was placed on the diocese’s public list on September 27, 2019, and died on April 15, 2020.
What Has Been Reported
Published records indicate that the allegation against Aubin dated to the 1960s and was deemed credible by the diocese, a significant official acknowledgment. With his death in 2020, criminal prosecution is no longer possible. Survivors should know, however, that civil claims against the diocese do not depend on prosecuting the individual priest.
Criminal vs. Civil Sexual Abuse Cases
A criminal prosecution seeks to imprison the offender and is controlled by the state. A civil lawsuit seeks to compensate the survivor and is controlled by the survivor. These are separate legal tracks with separate deadlines.
Father Aubin died in 2020, so he is no longer alive for anyone to pursue criminal charges against him. A civil action, though, can proceed against the Diocese of Lansing itself, the institution that supervised him and has already deemed the allegation credible.
Statute of Limitations on Clergy Sexual Abuse Cases in Michigan
Michigan Legislature §600.5805 generally allows ten years, or until the victim turns 28, whichever is later, to file a civil sexual abuse lawsuit. There is no statute of limitations for first-degree criminal sexual conduct in Michigan.
Many survivors of decades-old abuse assume the law offers them nothing. That assumption is often wrong: the extended civil deadline and the possibility of claims against the diocese mean an attorney review is worthwhile even for abuse from the 1960s.
View All Accused Clergy in Michigan
Pursue Justice With Help From White Law PLLC
A diocese that deems an abuse allegation credible has effectively confirmed that a child in its care was harmed. When church officials then failed to protect others or concealed what they knew, the institution may owe damages for medical and therapy expenses, pain and suffering, and emotional distress.
Contact White Law PLLC at (517) 316-1195 or at . Your consultation is free and confidential, and you owe us nothing unless we recover money for you.
Profiles summarize published records and allegations. Inclusion does not constitute a legal finding.