KANSAS CITY (MO)
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priestst
For immediate release: Tuesday, July 1, 2014
Statement by Barbara Dorris of St. Louis, Outreach Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests ( 314 503 0003 cell, SNAPdorris@gmail.com )
In an unprecedented case, the only one like it (we believe) in the country, an arbitrator has ordered a controversial Missouri bishop to pay $1.1 million to 42 victims of clergy sex crimes because he broke his pledges to improve how he deals with abuse cases. It’s a “breach of contract” case.
The disclosure came, perhaps accidentally, on Friday (June 20) in a virtually-unnoticed unsealed court filing by lawyers for Kansas City Bishop Robert Finn, who wants the award nullified.
As best we can tell, there’s never been a case like this in which victims have successfully held a bishop responsible in court for breaking the promises he made during a settlement. And the amount of this award is significant because it may will deter more Catholic officials from breaking the promises they make to victims.
In four sentences, here’s what is happening:
1) In 2008, 47 victims settled child sex abuse and cover up lawsuits against Finn and his diocese. As part of that deal, they insisted that Finn commit to 19 non-economic child safety measures.
2) In October 2011, 44 of those victims formally charged that Finn broke many of those child safety measures, in part by keeping two credibly accused predator priests in ministry (Fr. James Tierney and Fr. Shawn Ratigan) and by not reporting suspicions and knowledge of child sex crimes promptly to law enforcement
In March, an arbitrator – harshly criticizing KC Catholic officials – awarded $1.1 million to the victims.
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