Entertainment
Archdiocese of Los Angeles in US agrees to pay $880 million to over 1,300 victims who were s3xually abused by Catholic priests
The Archdiocese of Los Angeles in the US has agreed to pay $880 million to victims of clergy s3xual abuse dating back decades, in what an attorney said was the largest single child s3x abuse settlement with a Catholic archdiocese.
The announcement of the agreement in principle was made on Wednesday, October 16.
After the announcement, Archbishop José H. Gomez said in a statement, “I am sorry for every one of these incidents, from the bottom of my heart.”
“My hope is that this settlement will provide some measure of healing for what these men and women have suffered,” the archbishop added.
“I believe that we have come to a resolution of these claims that will provide just compensation to the survivor-victims of these past abuses.”
Attorneys for 1,353 people who allege that they suffered horrific abuse at the hands of local Catholic priests reached the settlement after months of negotiations with the archdiocese, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The agreement caps a quarter-century of litigation against the most populous archdiocese in the United States.
Attorneys in the Plaintiffs’ Liaison Committee said in a joint statement, “While there is no amount of money that can replace what was taken from these 1,353 brave individuals who have suffered in silence for decades, there is justice in accountability.”
Under the settlement, the plaintiffs will engage in a process that will not involve the archdiocese to allocate the settlement amount among the participants.
The archdiocese has previously paid $740 million to victims in various settlements and had pledged to better protect its church members, so this settlement would put the total payout at more than $1.5 billion, the Times said.
Attorney Morgan Stewart, who led the negotiations, said in a statement that the settlement is the largest single child sex abuse settlement with a Catholic archdiocese.
These survivors have suffered for decades in the aftermath of the abuse. Dozens of the survivors have died. They are aging, and many of those with knowledge of the abuse within the church are too. It was time to get this resolved,” Stewart told the Times.
The settlement will be funded by archdiocese investments, accumulated reserves, bank financing, and other assets.
According to the archdiocese, certain religious orders and others named in the litigation will also cover some of the cost of the settlement, the Times said.
- Top Stories21 hours ago
Nigeria Now Deploying Satellites To Monitor Terrorists, Bandits – FG
- Top Stories15 hours ago
Why We Want To Change FIRS Name – Adedeji
- News20 hours ago
#USELECTION2024: Jimmy Carter Casts His Ballot For Harris In Georgia(PHOTOS)
- Top Stories20 hours ago
EFCC Vs The Constitution: Waiting For Supreme Court
- News21 hours ago
We Are Still Within Our Limit, Sanwo-Olu Dismisses Lagos Debt Worries
- Top Stories13 hours ago
Preserving Herbert Wigwe’s legacy by Joseph Edgar
- Politics21 hours ago
Adhere to safety guidelines – IGP tells motorists as explosion kills over 140 in Jigawa
- Business and Brands19 hours ago
Canada’s capital city offers renewable scholarships for international students