07-15-2007, 08:39 PM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/07/14/church.abuse.ap/index.html
<b>Diocese to settle sex-abuse claims for $660 million</b>
Story Highlights
<b>NEW: Plaintiffs' attorney confirms settlement reached
NEW: Los Angeles Catholic hierarchy to announce deal Sunday, lawyer says
About 500 plaintiffs to receive average of $1.2 million each
Spokeswoman for plaintiffs: No deal can make suffering stop</b>
LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles reached a settlement agreement Saturday with more than 500 people who allege they were sexually abused by clergy, the main plaintiff's attorney told The Associated Press.
Attorneys for the archdiocese, the nation's largest, and the plaintiffs will release a joint statement Sunday morning and hold a news conference Monday, said plaintiff's attorney Ray Boucher.
The deal is valued at $660 million, according to a source who spoke on condition of anonymity because the settlement had not been officially announced.
It is by far the largest payout in the church's sexual abuse scandal, and it exceeded earlier reports from sources that the settlement would be between $600 million and $650 million -- between $1.2 million and $1.3 million per plaintiff.
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<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->The settlement would be the largest by a Roman Catholic archdiocese since the clergy sexual abuse scandal erupted in Boston in 2002.
Among the largest total payouts was $100 million in 2004 by the Diocese of Orange, California, to settle 90 claims. The Diocese of Boston agreed in 2003 to pay $84 million for 552 cases, the same figure the Diocese of Covington, Kentucky, agreed last year to pay to settle about 360 claims. Facing a flood of abuse claims, five dioceses -- Tucson, Arizona; Spokane, Washington; Portland, Oregon; Davenport, Iowa, and San Diego, California -- sought bankruptcy protection.
Last month, the Archdiocese of Portland agreed to pay about $52 million to 175 victims, while setting aside another $20 million for anyone who comes forward in the future.
The Diocese of Spokane, Washington, also recently emerged from bankruptcy protection after agreeing to pay $48 million to settle about 150 claims.
The Los Angeles archdiocese, its insurers and various Roman Catholic orders have paid more than $114 million to settle 86 claims so far.
The largest of those came in December, when the archdiocese reached a $60 million settlement with 45 people whose claims dated from before the mid-1950s and after 1987 -- periods when it had little or no sexual abuse insurance. Several religious orders in California have also reached multimillion-dollar settlements in recent months, including the Carmelites, the Franciscans and the Jesuits.
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So church avoided trial and covered up deep sexual abuse stories from media and public all over world.
In India, government, commies and media are in bed with them, whenever such news comes out, first they kill the messenger.
<b>Diocese to settle sex-abuse claims for $660 million</b>
Story Highlights
<b>NEW: Plaintiffs' attorney confirms settlement reached
NEW: Los Angeles Catholic hierarchy to announce deal Sunday, lawyer says
About 500 plaintiffs to receive average of $1.2 million each
Spokeswoman for plaintiffs: No deal can make suffering stop</b>
LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles reached a settlement agreement Saturday with more than 500 people who allege they were sexually abused by clergy, the main plaintiff's attorney told The Associated Press.
Attorneys for the archdiocese, the nation's largest, and the plaintiffs will release a joint statement Sunday morning and hold a news conference Monday, said plaintiff's attorney Ray Boucher.
The deal is valued at $660 million, according to a source who spoke on condition of anonymity because the settlement had not been officially announced.
It is by far the largest payout in the church's sexual abuse scandal, and it exceeded earlier reports from sources that the settlement would be between $600 million and $650 million -- between $1.2 million and $1.3 million per plaintiff.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->The settlement would be the largest by a Roman Catholic archdiocese since the clergy sexual abuse scandal erupted in Boston in 2002.
Among the largest total payouts was $100 million in 2004 by the Diocese of Orange, California, to settle 90 claims. The Diocese of Boston agreed in 2003 to pay $84 million for 552 cases, the same figure the Diocese of Covington, Kentucky, agreed last year to pay to settle about 360 claims. Facing a flood of abuse claims, five dioceses -- Tucson, Arizona; Spokane, Washington; Portland, Oregon; Davenport, Iowa, and San Diego, California -- sought bankruptcy protection.
Last month, the Archdiocese of Portland agreed to pay about $52 million to 175 victims, while setting aside another $20 million for anyone who comes forward in the future.
The Diocese of Spokane, Washington, also recently emerged from bankruptcy protection after agreeing to pay $48 million to settle about 150 claims.
The Los Angeles archdiocese, its insurers and various Roman Catholic orders have paid more than $114 million to settle 86 claims so far.
The largest of those came in December, when the archdiocese reached a $60 million settlement with 45 people whose claims dated from before the mid-1950s and after 1987 -- periods when it had little or no sexual abuse insurance. Several religious orders in California have also reached multimillion-dollar settlements in recent months, including the Carmelites, the Franciscans and the Jesuits.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
So church avoided trial and covered up deep sexual abuse stories from media and public all over world.
In India, government, commies and media are in bed with them, whenever such news comes out, first they kill the messenger.