COVINGTON (KY)
Cincinnati Post
By Paul A. Long
Post staff reporter
The blueprint that will be used to distribute up to $120 million to victims of molestation by priests in the Diocese of Covington has been used before to settle similar claims, say attorneys involved.
It's an outline that helps classify victims according to the gravity of the abuse suffered, and it recognizes that some acts are far more serious than others.
And while it does not tie specific dollar figures to specific injuries or events, it does provide a similar range of payments to similar ranges of abuse.
"As the severity of the abuse increases, the amount of recovery increases," according to documents filed in connection with the settlement.
The documents chart the details of the settlement, announced Friday, of a lawsuit alleging a 50-year cover-up by diocesan officials of priestly sexual abuse.
The agreement calls for a $120 million settlement fund, the largest yet from any diocese in America since the Roman Catholic Church's sexual-abuse crisis erupted some 15 years ago.
Posted by kshaw at June 9, 2005 11:17 AM