BRITAIN
Scotsman
By Hugo Duncan, PA
A man who was left psychologically damaged after being systematically abused by a parish priest for ten years was awarded more than £600,000 in compensation today.
Lawyers acting for the victim of Father Christopher Clonan said they hoped the award – thought to be the biggest of its kind in the UK – would force the church to offer “realistic compensation” to other victims.
The 35-year-old man, who now suffers from schizophrenia and post-traumatic stress disorder, was abused between the ages of seven and 18 by Clonan, his priest at Christ The King Church in Coventry.
The claimant, known as A, was awarded £635,684 by the High Court in Manchester after bringing a case against the Archbishop of Birmingham and the trustees of the Birmingham Archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church.
After today’s judgment, ‘A’s legal firm, Wokingham-based Clifton Ingram, said they knew of at least eight other victims.
They claim the church failed to act against Clonan for years after the abuse allegations were first raised.