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  Roman Catholic Church Agrees Sexual Abuse Payout

By Duncan Hooper
Telegraph [Los Angeles CA]
July 15, 2007

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/07/15/nchurch115.xml

The Roman Catholic Church in Los Angeles, the largest archdiocese in the US, has agreed to pay an unprecedented ¸300 million to settle sexual abuse cases, according to a lawyer for the plaintiffs.

The deal, yet to be approved by a judge, amounts to about ¸500,000 for each of more than 500 people who claimed they were victims of abuse by the clergy. It would be the biggest paid by the Church since the scandal erupted in 2002 and would bring the total amount paid across the US to almost a billion pounds.

Property sales will be needed to raise the cash and it remains unclear how much of the bill will be footed by insurers - especially as the Church only recently began taking out cover for sexual abuse claims.

The sexual abuse scandal is one of the biggest challenges facing Pope Benedict XVI

Ray Boucher, the lead plaintiff's attorney, also claimed that the deal included the release of confidential church reports on priests implicated in the scandal.

"Transparency is a critical part of this and of all resolutions," he said.

Some Roman Catholic orders - the Servites, Claretians and Oblates - are reported to have refused to participate in the agreement

The Church has not yet confirmed the settlement.

 
 

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