Profile Facts
- Name
- Joseph W. Roach
- Role
- Priest
- Diocese
- Diocese of Saginaw
- Ordained
- 1948
- Status
- Accused
- Died
- 8/9/2015
- Records
- Diocesan and public records
Decades may pass, but the right to seek justice does not have to fade with them. The clergy sexual abuse lawyers at White Law PLLC help Michigan survivors bring long-ago abuse into the light, with confidentiality guaranteed from the start.
Father Joseph W. Roach was ordained in 1948 and served the Diocese of Saginaw for decades before retiring to California. He was named publicly as accused in the Michigan Attorney General’s June 2026 Saginaw report. This page recounts the reported allegation and explains Michigan survivors’ legal rights.
Sexual Abuse in the Diocese of Saginaw
Mid-Michigan’s Diocese of Saginaw is one of seven dioceses in the state, alongside the Archdiocese of Detroit and the Dioceses of Grand Rapids, Lansing, Kalamazoo, Gaylord, and Marquette. Michigan’s Attorney General began investigating clergy sexual abuse statewide in 2018, and the Saginaw report released in June 2026 named Roach as accused.
A Michigan clergy sexual abuse lawyer can evaluate allegations like these and advise whether a civil claim remains viable, even when a diocesan board could not substantiate the report.
The Allegations Against Father Joseph W. Roach
The 2024 Report
According to published records, the Michigan Attorney General’s June 25, 2026 Diocese of Saginaw Report documented that the diocese received a report in March 2024 alleging that Roach had molested and raped an 8-year-old girl in 1974. The accuser said Roach would take her out for ice cream, grope her in the car, and show her pornographic pictures. She said the rape occurred when her grandmother left her at Roach’s house during a hair appointment, and that she hid behind the washer and dryer until someone arrived. Roach also allegedly groomed the girl’s brothers. Roach was ordained in 1948 for the Diocese of Saginaw, served as a parish priest, pastor, and diocesan director of the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, retired in 1989, and later continued ministry in California for the Diocese of San Bernardino.
Unsubstantiated Finding
The diocesan review board determined that there was not enough information to substantiate the allegations. Roach died on August 9, 2015, so criminal prosecution is impossible; however, a board’s finding does not prevent survivors from filing civil claims against his estate or the diocese.
Criminal vs. Civil Sexual Abuse Cases
Criminal courts and civil courts serve different masters. Prosecutors bring criminal cases to punish offenders with prison time. Survivors bring civil cases to obtain compensation for their suffering. A survivor does not need a criminal case, or a diocesan board’s endorsement, to file a civil lawsuit.
Institutions can be defendants too. When diocesan officials knew or should have known of the risk and failed to prevent the abuse, covered it up, or neglected proper screening and training, Michigan law may hold the diocese liable.
Statute of Limitations on Clergy Sexual Abuse Cases in Michigan
MCL §600.5805 gives Michigan survivors ten years, or until age 28, whichever is later, to file a civil sexual abuse claim. First-degree criminal sexual conduct has no limitations period. The extended civil timeframe was created because trauma and suppressed memories so often delay disclosure by years or decades.
Because individual facts can shift the deadline, survivors are wise to consult an attorney as soon as they feel able.
View All Accused Clergy in Michigan
Pursue Justice With Help From White Law PLLC
A civil lawsuit can provide resources for healing, including coverage for medical and therapy expenses, and can recognize pain and suffering and emotional distress that may never fully disappear. It can also create an official record of the church’s failures. White Law PLLC is ready to help you build that case.
Call (517) 316-1195 for a confidential case evaluation. We represent survivors throughout Michigan.
Profiles summarize published records and allegations. Inclusion does not constitute a legal finding.