| |
| |
![]() |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
LOS ANGELES: The Roman Catholic Church in Los Angeles apologized Sunday to hundreds of people sexually abused by its priests after agreeing to a record 660-million-dollar settlement, the biggest in US history.
Lawyers for the Los Angeles archdiocese and 508 victims of abuse dating back to the 1940s thrashed out the massive settlement on the eve of a potentially explosive court case due to open on Monday.
Archdiocese head Cardinal Roger Mahony -- who has been accused by angry victims of attempting to cover up paedophilia cases during his reign -- told a press conference that the cases should never have happened.
"This long journey has now come to an end, and a new chapter of that journey is beginning," Mahony said.
"Once again I apologize to anyone who has been offended, who's been abused by priests, by deacons, by religious men and women or by lay people ... It should not have happened and should not ever happen again."
Mahony said he was haunted by the fact that victims would never be able to reclaim their innocence.
"It is the one part of the settlement process I find so frustrating, because the one thing I wish I could give the victims, I cannot," he said.
Ray Boucher, the lead attorney for the victims, said the settlement was "long overdue."
"Some of the victims have waited more than five decades for a chance at reconciliation and resolution," Boucher said. "This is a down payment on that debt long overdue."
Attorneys for both sides will appear in Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday to file the settlement, which must be approved by a judge.
The deal will be the largest settlement by any Roman Catholic archdiocese to sex abuse victims in the United States.
Abuse cases across the country have cost Roman Catholic churches around 2.1 billion dollars to date. Several priests have been convicted and at least four dioceses have gone bankrupt paying civil penalties.
The Los Angeles church is expected to sell off assets from its estimated four billion dollar real estate holdings to pay for the settlement.
The church had already settled 46 cases in December for 60 million dollars.
John Manly, a lawyer who represented around 50 victims who now stand to receive payouts of 1.2-1.3 million dollars each, told AFP the archdiocese had settled to avoid the embarrassment of a court case.
Manly said the release of internal documents as part of the settlement would raise questions over the leadership of Mahony.
"I think when people see the documents and see what he knew and what he did they will be stunned," Manly told AFP.
Victims accuse Mahony of allegedly covering up evidence of child molestation by transferring priests to other churches and for trying to keep the abuse reports secret.
"Cardinal Mahony paying out money is great, but where is the accountability from the hierarchy of the church?" Manly said. "They will continue their lives as normal; the victims still have to deal with a lifetime of problems."
Manly questioned why Mahony had not been held to account.
"If what transpired under his leadership was bad enough to pay a half billion dollars, why is he still walking free, and why hasn't the district attorney taken action against him?" Manly said.
Barbara Blaine, the leader of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), a nationwide victims support group, meanwhile called the settlement "wonderful news for all the victims."
She praised the "brave victims, compassionate lawmakers and victims' attorneys, who took hard, uncertain cases and overcame seemingly endless hardball tactics by bishops" to win the case.
Blaine said she believed the church had settled not out of compassion, but to avoid disclosing "under oath, in open court, how much the church's corporate officials knew about and how little they did about paedophile priests, nuns, brothers and seminarians."
Blaine said she hoped the church documents detailing the abuse cases would expose the truth.
"No amount of money can give the victims back their lost innocence and stolen childhoods, but hopefully this will put some closure on a very painful part of their lives," she said.
The Los Angeles settlement dwarfs figures from other cases. The previous biggest payout was in Boston, where victims accepted a deal worth 157 million dollars.
- AFP/ir
|
