McGowan, Hood, Felder & Phillips, LLC Files Lawsuit against Greenville Priest

McGowan, Hood, Felder & Phillips, LLC has filed a lawsuit against the Diocese of Charleston, Bishop Robert E. Guglielmone, and Fr. Wilbroad Mwape alleges our client was manipulated into a sexual relationship with the priest.

As WBTW News 13 reports, “Before coming to Greenville in 2020, Mwape was pastor at Holy Trinity Church in Orangeburg. It was there that the woman said Mwape started grooming her into a sexual relationship, growing her knowledge in the Catholic faith while also using her confessions about trouble in her marriage to prey on her vulnerabilities.”

The Lawsuit alleges that the Diocese of Charleston covered up the abuses, and that the Diocese and Bishop Guglielmone “were negligent in their failure to prevent Mwape from engaging in a sexual relationship with one of his former parishioners,” reports the Post and Courier. The Diocese has put Mwape on leave while the investigation is ongoing.

McGowan, Hood, Felder & Phillips, LLC represents sexual abuse and assault survivors in claims against the Catholic Church and other religious institutions. If you or your loved one was sexually abuse or assaulted by a member of the clergy, a lay person, a staff member, or a volunteer with any religious organization, we are here to help.

To learn more about your options in a safe and discreet consultation, please call our South Carolina sexual abuse attorneys at 803-327-7800 or fill out our contact form to schedule an appointment.