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  Record 660 Mln dlr US Clergy Sex Abuse Payout Approved

By Rob Woollard
France 24
July 16, 2007

http://www.france24.com/france24Public/en/administration/afp-news.html?id=070716222708.7i4nljcu&cat=null

Los Angeles — A record 660 million dollar payout to hundreds of people sexually abused by clergy from the Roman Catholic Church in Los Angeles was approved Monday, ending a bitter five-year legal battle.

Lawyers representing the largest US archdiocese and 508 victims of abuse appeared at Los Angeles Superior Court to confirm the settlement, the biggest since the Catholic clergy sex scandals erupted in 2002.

The settlement was hammered out at the weekend during marathon negotiations, heading off the prospect of a potentially explosive civil trial that had been due to start Monday.

Esther Miller, wearing photos of herself as a child and Michael Nocita who she says abused her as a girl, breaks down as she describes her abuse experiences during a press conference by abuse victims and their representatives outside Los Angeles County courthouse in Los Angeles. A record 660 million dollar payout to hundreds of people sexually abused by clergy from the Roman Catholic Church in Los Angeles was approved Monday, ending a bitter five-year legal battle.
Photo by Robyn Beck

Ray Boucher, the lead lawyer for the victims, said the money would be paid to victims by December 1 this year, telling reporters the deal would help those abused cope with feelings of guilt and shame.

"The settlement today was an acknowledgment to the victims that they did nothing wrong, that it was not their fault," Boucher said. "That it was the fault of despicable, evil men that did despicable, evil things.

"Their youth was stolen from them and the church failed to take steps, or in many cases any step, to protect them. Often, instead, the church protected the priests and their own."

A parishoner recites the rosary at a church. A record 660-million-dollar payout to hundreds of people sexually abused by clergy from the Roman Catholic Church in Los Angeles was approved by a court here Monday.
Photo by Jessica Rinaldi

Boucher said the settlement also provided for the release of previously confidential personnel files of priests, which would shed light on what church leaders knew about the abuse and when they knew it.

"Far more important than the money, though, is a critical term of this settlement that provides for the release of the confidential files of the priests that were involved in molesting so many children over the last five decades," he said.

Los Angeles Archdiocese head Cardinal Roger Mahony — who has been accused by angry victims of attempting to conceal abuse cases during his tenure — apologized to the hundreds of victims on Sunday.

Mike Gallegos sheds a tear as he describes how his alleged abuse as a child at the hands of his priest led him to attempt suicide more than once, after a settlement between abuse victims and the Los Angeles Catholic Archdiocese was reached. A record 660 million dollar payout to hundreds of people sexually abused by clergy from the Roman Catholic Church in Los Angeles was approved Monday, ending a bitter five-year legal battle.
Photo by Robyn Beck

"Once again I apologize to anyone who has been offended, who's been abused by priests, by deacons, by religious men and women or by lay people ... It should not have happened and should not ever happen again," Mahony said.

Mahony was in court for Monday's hearing but did not testify. As the hearing ended, one woman yelled" "Go to hell, Mahony."

Abuse cases across the United States have cost Roman Catholic churches around 2.1 billion dollars to date. Several priests have been convicted and at least five dioceses have gone bankrupt paying civil penalties.

The Los Angeles church is expected to sell off assets from its estimated four billion dollar real estate holdings to help pay for the settlement, which on average will see victims receive around 1.3 million dollars each.

The church had already settled 46 cases in December for 60 million dollars.

Boucher, meanwhile, praised Mahony's decision to finally seek a settlement, even if it was motivated by a desire to avoid having to testify, as several of his critics have claimed.

The head of the Roman Catholic church in Los Angeles, Cardinal Roger Mahony, pictured in 2004. A record 660-million-dollar payout to hundreds of people sexually abused by clergy from the Roman Catholic Church in Los Angeles was approved by a court here Monday.
Photo by Robyn Beck

"I know it's hard for most of the victims whose scars are very deep, and I know many will never forgive the cardinal," he said.

"He took steps that only he could take and if left to the lawyers and others in the church he would not have settled this case."

Judge Haley Fromholz also praised Mahony for appearing in court.

"Cardinal Mahony, thank you for attending, it was very important for you to be here," Fromholz said.

But victims of abuse had harsh words for Mahony.

Lee Bashforth, whose testimony helped convict a priest of child molestation, described the cardinal's apology to victims as "disingenuous and hollow."

Frank Zamora (L) holds a sign with a photo of his son, alleged priest abuse victim, Dominic Zamora (R), outside Los Angeles County courthouse after a settlement between abuse victims and the Los Angeles Catholic Archdiocese was reached. A record 660 million dollar payout to hundreds of people sexually abused by clergy from the Roman Catholic Church in Los Angeles was approved Monday, ending a bitter five-year legal battle.
Photo by Robyn Beck

"He's sorry he got caught covering up his crimes," Bashforth said.

Steven Sanchez, 47, one of 12 victims whose case had been due to start on Monday, said although the legal battle was over, the scars would remain.

"Just because you have a settlement ... that doesn't erase the emotional scars and damage that's happened to all of us," Sanchez said.

"Whether you give me a check for 10 dollars or 10,000 dollars, where can I take that check and cash it in someplace to make me 10 years old again? I don't think that can happen."

 
 

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