New York Archdiocese Panel to Compensate Sex-abuse Victims

By Kate King
Wall Street Journal
October 6, 2016

http://www.wsj.com/articles/new-york-archdiocese-panel-to-compensate-sex-abuse-victims-1475769453

The Archdiocese of New York announced Thursday that it was setting up a program to compensate survivors of sexual abuse perpetrated by Roman Catholic priests and deacons over the past several decades.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan said an Independent Reconciliation and Compensation Program would be administered by Kenneth Feinberg, who served as the Special Master of the federal government’s compensation fund for victims of the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Mr. Feinberg and his colleague, Camille Biros, will have autonomy in determining compensation awards, which the church has committed to pay in full, Cardinal Dolan said.

The archdiocese will take out a long-term loan to pay compensation costs. Cardinal Dolan declined during a press conference Thursday to speculate as to how much money might be spent.