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	Church to Pay $660m to Abuse Victims Pretoria News July 16, 2007 http://www.pretorianews.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=3936291 Los Angeles — The Roman Catholic Church in the United States is to pay a record $660 million settlement (nearly R5 billion) to more than 500 victims of sexual abuse by clergy. This was confirmed by lawyers involved in the case yesterday. A statement announcing the deal between lawyers representing 508 victims and the Los Angeles archdiocese was expected to be released last night, heading off a potentially explosive court case due to start today. "Some of the victims have waited more than five decades for a chance at reconciliation and resolution," said Ray Boucher, the lead attorney for victims in the case. "This is a down payment on that debt long overdue." Attorneys for both sides will appear in the Los Angeles superior court today to file the settlement, which must be approved by a judge, Boucher said. "It's been a long, hard slog," church attorney J Michael Hennigan told the Los Angeles Times. "I'm delighted to see it's come to a conclusion." The $660 million deal, which covers cases dating as far back as the 1940s, will be the largest settlement by any Roman Catholic archdiocese to sex abuse victims in the United States. Abuse cases across the country have cost Roman Catholic churches around $2.1 billion to date. Several priests have been convicted and at least four dioceses have gone bankrupt paying civil penalties. The Los Angeles diocese is expected to sell off property to pay for the settlement. The Los Angeles Times reported earlier this year that the diocese, America's largest, had real estate holdings of about $4 billion. The church had already settled 46 cases in December for $60 million. John Manly, a lawyer who represented some 50 victims who now stand to receive payouts of about $1.2 million to $1.3 million, said the archdiocese had settled to avoid the embarrassment of a court case. Manly said the release of internal documents as part of the settlement would raise questions over the leadership of Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony. "I think when people see the documents and see what he knew and what he did they will be stunned," Manly said. Mahony has been accused by victims of allegedly covering up evidence of child molestation by transferring priests to other churches and for trying to keep the abuse reports secret. Barbara Blaine, leader of nationwide victims support group Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, called the settlement "wonderful news for all the victims". Blaine said she believed the church had settled not out of compassion, but to avoid disclosing "under oath, in open court, how much the church's corporate officials knew about and how little they did about paedophile priests, nuns, brothers and seminarians".
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