The Archdiocese of Los Angeles has announced an $US880 million ($1.3 billion) clergy abuse settlement, a record payout that Archbishop José Gomez hoped would “provide some measure of healing” for abuse victims. Source: CNA.
Lawyers for both victims and the archdiocese said in a joint press release that the settlement would address 1353 childhood sexual abuse claims filed against the California archbishopric.
The mediation process, conducted under retired California judge Daniel Buckley, took about a year.
Abuse survivors filed the claims against the archdiocese following the state’s enactment of Assembly Bill 218, which offered victims a three-year window to file civil abuse claims that had otherwise gone beyond the statute of limitations.
In a statement on Wednesday, Archbishop Gomez said the settlement – the largest ever for a US diocese or archdiocese – would “provide just compensation to the survivor-victims of these past abuses.”
It would also allow the archdiocese “to continue to carry out our ministries to the faithful and our social programs serving the poor and vulnerable in our communities”.
“I am sorry for every one of these incidents, from the bottom of my heart,” the prelate said. “My hope is that this settlement will provide some measure of healing for what these men and women have suffered.”
Archdiocesan administrative offices will take “primary financial responsibility” for the settlement, though the process of dividing the settlement among the survivors will not involve the archdiocese.
An earlier “global settlement” of claims in 2007 resulted in a relinquishment of insurance coverage for abuse claims, the archdiocese said.
The settlement will be funded by “accumulated reserves and investment holdings, bank financing, and other archdiocesan assets, in addition to payments by certain religious orders and others named in the litigation”.
Officials will conduct an “overall evaluation of all programs and ministries of the archdiocese” in order to “allocate funds responsibly and appropriately.”
FULL STORY
Archdiocese of Los Angeles announces nearly $1 billion clergy abuse settlement (By Daniel Payne, CNA)
