NY Archdiocese Establishes Fund for Church Sex Abuse Victims

NY1
October 6, 2016

http://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/news/2016/10/6/new-york-archdiocese-establishes-fund-for-church-sex-abuse-victims-.html

[with video]

Cardinal Timothy Dolan on Thursday unveiled a program aimed at helping victims of sex abuse in the Catholic Church. NY1's Rocco Vertuccio filed the following report.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan calls it another step in reforming the Catholic Church and healing the wounds from the sex abuse scandal.

"The church's family still has deep scars and waits fuller healing and reconciliation," Dolan said.

Thursday, he announced the Independent Reconciliation and Compensation Program to assist victims of abuse by priests within the archdiocese.

Over the last 40 years, 200 people have come forward with allegations against 40 priests. Thirty of those cases have been settled. That leaves about 170 victims who could possibly require payments in what's being called phase one of the compensation program.

"The survivors tell us that while it's not all about money, a tangible sign of the church's outreach and reparation would indeed be helpful," Dolan said.

The archdiocese will take out a long-term loan to pay for the compensation.

Kenneth Feinberg, who oversaw the 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund, will run the program with another administrator. They will decide who is eligible and how much they receive. Church officials did not say how the archdiocese will pay for the loan.

"It's a model program, I think, in terms of dealing with this problem," Feinberg said.

The program will coordinate with 10 district attorneys offices within the archdiocese. Former Police Commissioner Ray Kelly will serve on an oversight committee to make sure the program's goals are met.

"And that is to prevent anyone else from suffering the scourge, the horror of abuse," Kelly said.

One advocacy group blasted the plan as "too little, too late," saying it would "forestall real legislative reform that would enable deeply wounded victims from using courts to reveal clergy wrongdoers."

Once phase two of the program starts in about four months, abuse victims who have not yet filed a complaint with the archdiocese can apply for potential compensation.