Victims to Bishop: Don’t Appeal $8 Million Abuse Verdict

SNAP
November 5, 2015

http://www.snapnetwork.org/mn_victims_to_bishop_don_t_appeal_8_million_abuse_verdict

We fear that Duluth’s bishop will appeal an $8 million jury verdict or use it to justify seeking bankruptcy protection. We hope he’ll do neither. Both are irresponsible.

[nia bishop once appealed a jury verdict for an abuse victim for more than a dozen years. Instead of paying the original $1.5 million, the diocese ultimately paid $2.569 million http:]

More recently, an Illinois bishop appealed a $5 million jury verdict for years, and ended up paying $ 6.3 million (because of the interest that had accrued).

[stltoday.com]

Appeals like this are mean-spirited and often financially dumb. They delay long-deserved healing for everyone involved.

We also fear that Bishop Paul Sirba will also now claim “We must seek Chapter 11 protection.” We hope this doesn’t happen.

Bishops declare bankruptcy for selfish reasons, not financial ones. They want to keep their reputations, not their assets. They want to keep their cover ups covered up. Bankruptcy brings an abrupt halt to disclosures about which clerics committed and concealed child sex crimes.

That’s a self-serving strategy for a prelate. It’s a hurtful strategy for parents, police, prosecutors, parishioners, the public and of course victims. It’s morally wrong.

Two months ago, during his US visit, Pope Francis made strong promises, including that “abuse cannot be kept secret any longer,” “all responsible will be held accountable," and that church officials will provide "careful oversight to ensure that youth are protected.”

This brave victim and this wise jury have done this. Duluth’s bishop shouldn’t try to reverse this progress.