THE INDEPENDENT RECONCILIATION AND COMPENSATION PROGRAM FOR THE DIOCESE OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK (“IRCP”), Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn (June 22, 2017)

THE INDEPENDENT RECONCILIATION AND COMPENSATION PROGRAM FOR THE DIOCESE OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK (“IRCP”)

The Program is purely voluntary; no individual is required to participate in the Program. Only if the individual is satisfied with, and agrees to accept, the offered compensation, does the individual agree to waive his/her rights to litigate against the Diocese of Brooklyn.
The Program is limited in scope to those individuals who previously submitted a complaint of sexual abuse of a minor to the Diocese of Brooklyn. Individuals who allege clergy sexual abuse, but have not previously complained to the Diocese of Brooklyn, will have an opportunity to seek compensation later this year during Phase II of this Program. These individuals may register immediately with the Program, providing their names, contact information and a summary description of the nature of the claim, including the dates, time, location of the alleged abuse and the name of the alleged perpetrator.
Mr. Feinberg and Ms. Biros retain complete and sole discretion over all compensation awards to eligible victims, including eligibility to participate in the Program and the amounts of compensation. By agreement, the Diocese of Brooklyn cannot reject the Administrators’ final determinations as to eligibility and the amount of compensation.
An Independent Oversight Committee consisting of Joseph P. Dunne, the former First Deputy Police Commissioner of the New York City Police Department, and the Honorable Joseph Golia, former Queens County Supreme Court Judge and Associate Justice for the New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division, have agreed to serve as members of this Committee to oversee the implementation and administration of the IRCP.
The Program has no aggregate cap; the Diocese of Brooklyn has agreed to pay whatever the Administrators deem appropriate in each and every individual case.
Individuals who previously settled their sexual abuse claims with the Diocese of Brooklyn will not be permitted to participate in the Program.
Individuals who allege sexual abuse as a minor by a member of a religious order or clergy of another diocese are not eligible to participate in the Program, although the complaints will be forwarded to the superior of the religious order or bishop of such diocese.
Payments to eligible claimants will be made within 15 days of execution and return to the Administrators of a signed release by the individual agreeing to waive rights to litigate against the Diocese of Brooklyn.
The effective date of the Program is June 22, 2017. All claims submitted to the Administrators must be postmarked no later than September 30, 2017.

Compensation of Certain Individual Claims of Clergy Sexual Abuse of Minors Previously Submitted to the Diocese of Brooklyn (Phase I)

June 22, 2017