Second-largest bankruptcy settlement of priest sex abuse claims
In the sad realm of child sexual abuse in the United States, is there anything more tragic and disheartening than the sordid tale of persistent abuse inflicted on children by clergy members of the Roman Catholic Church?
Pedophilism is of course unlawful and egregious criminal conduct that targets and can forever haunt thereafter victims who instantly comprise the most vulnerable demographic, and it often involves adult manipulation based on a premise of trust.
That is, perpetrators are often teachers, counselors, coaches or mentors.
And clergy members, as well, with strong and damning evidence implicating Catholic priests in legions of cases spanning decades.
A notable child sex abuse settlement offer was announced just last week, namely, a $132 million figure from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. As reported by Reuters, the money relates to allegations from nearly 450 victims reporting abuse “against dozens of priests dating from the 1950s to 2011.”
That offer has been soundly rejected by the plaintiffs’ legal team, which has denounced it as paltry and out of line with the church’s ability to pay far higher compensation, as well as having been arrived at without any input from victims.
In fact, the amount is not even close to the settlement figure arrived at in 2007 involving abuse claims against priests in the San Diego diocese. Victims there — who also numbered in the hundreds — collectively received about $198 million.
It is of course proper that victims of sexual abuse and their families receive the maximum remedies they can obtain under law against such conduct. A meaningful recovery promotes healing and puts a necessary spotlight in such cases on perpetrators who need to be identified and punished. Deterrence can also be broadly advanced when abuse victims prevail in such matters.
Individuals with questions or concerns about child sexual abuse can contact an experienced victims’ rights attorney.
Serving clients throughout the Greater Los Angeles and Southern California area, we represent victims in a variety of civil litigation cases. If you or a loved one has been injured, turn to an experienced Los Angeles personal injury or sexual assault lawyer.
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