More info. about child sexual abuse
in the Roman Catholic Church, Part 1

"Award amounts will be decided by a mediator, based on the type of molestation, the duration of the abuse, and the injury suffered. Parents who filed lawsuits claiming their children were abused will receive $20,000. The church also will provide for psychological counseling for victims for as long as they want it, and will put some victims on advisory boards monitoring the abuse problem.....The archdiocese also released a statement saying in part that it is 'committed to doing everything humanly possible to make sure that this never occurs again. Our prayer is that this may, with the help of God, become a reality'." 

Gary Bergeron, who sued for molestation by the late Rev. Joseph Birmingham said:

"This piece of paper means one thing to me and many men I represent here today. From this day forward I am not an alleged victim of clergy abuse. I am recognized, I'm a survivor." _7,8

Stephen Pope, a theology professor at Boston College, estimated that it will take a generation for the Church to recover from the scandal. He said: "The whole country has been waiting for Boston to resolve this question, waiting for Boston to set an example." ₇

"...agreed to open his personnel files to the public. A judge will screen them to remove names of alleged abuse victims, and material protected by legal privileges, such as communications between lawyers and psychologists and their clients.....The diocese had a $171-million investment portfolio and $23.4 million in cash reserves at the end of the 2003 fiscal year, according to its financial statement." ₁₀

Bishop Brown wrote in a statement:

"We are ashamed that the crime of sexual abuse took place in our church and are determined that it will not happen again. Even after these cases are settled, all our efforts to make our church a safer environment for all and to educate everyone about the horror of childhood sexual abuse in our society will continue. We owe it to those who have suffered this kind of abuse to name it for what it is and, as far as possible, make amends." ₁₁

"After personally meeting with more than 70 victims, I am painfully aware that no amount of money can compensate for the harm these victims suffered as innocent children. Nevertheless, I pray that this settlement will bring some measure of peace and healing to victims and their loved ones." ₂

"I pray that the settlement of the initial group of cases will help the victims involved to move forward with their lives and to build a brighter future for themselves and their families."

This left more than 500 lawsuits involving allegations against 200 priests still unresolved. ₄ Negotiation s had made little progress for years. A recent decision by a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge to allow consideration of punitive damages may have speeded the process.

Jury selection for the first of these remaining lawsuits was expected to begin on 2007-JUL-16. However news of a last-minute near-settlement was leaked on JUL-14. Details are expected to be announced on JUL-16. It allegedly involves the payment of between $600 million and $650 million to about 500 plaintiffs -- an average of 1.2 to 1.3 million each. Insurance companies, the archdiocese and several religious orders will share in the payments.

Mary Grant, regional director of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) said:

"My hope is that these settlements will help the survivors and their families begin to heal and move forward. ... We must continue to do everything in our power to ensure the safety of the children in our care."

In an unprecedented attempt at openness, the archdiocese is making George's deposition public.

This brings the total payments to $65 million to settle about 250 claims over the past three decades. Mediation continues in about two dozen other cases. ₁₃