The largest single child sex abuse settlement with a Catholic archdiocese, according to an attorney, was reached Wednesday when the Archdiocese of Los Angeles agreed to pay $880 million to victims of decades-old clergy sexual abuse.
Archbishop José H. Gomez issued a statement following the news of the accord in principle, saying, “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 continued.
“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.”
After months of negotiations with the archdiocese, the Los Angeles Times reported that the settlement was struck by the lawyers for 1,353 persons who claim they were subjected to horrifying abuse by local Catholic priests.
The deal puts an end to 25 years of legal action against the most populated archdiocese in the US.
“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,” said a joint statement from the plaintiffs’ liaison committee’s attorneys.
In accordance with the arrangement, the plaintiffs will divide the settlement money among the parties through a procedure that will not involve the archdiocese.
According to the Times, this deal would bring the total payout to almost $1.5 billion. The archdiocese has already paid $740 million to plaintiffs in a number of settlements and promised to better protect its church members.
The payment is the largest single child sex abuse settlement with a Catholic archdiocese, according to a statement from the lead negotiator, attorney Morgan Stewart.
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“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 stated.
The money for the settlement will come from bank financing, accumulated reserves, investments made by the archdiocese, and other sources.
The archdiocese claims that some of the settlement’s costs will also be covered by specific religious orders and other parties mentioned in the lawsuit.
NY Post: Archdiocese of Los Angeles agrees to pay $880 million to over 1,300 victims of clergy sexual abuse
