BishopAccountability.org
	Wichitan Relates with Catholic Settlement By Cliff Judy KWCH July 17, 2007 http://www.kbsd6.com/Global/story.asp?S=6796950 A Wichita man says he can relate to sex abuse victims in Los Angeles. The largest archdiocese in the world announced Saturday it had settled out of court with 508 sex abuse victims, giving them $660 million. Gene asked that Eyewitness News protect his identity by keeping his last name confidential. Gene says he's happy the victims in Los Angeles got some type of compensation, but it doesn't change what happened for them. Gene and his siblings grew up in a Catholic orphanage in El Dorado, where he says he was molested by a priest at the age of 14. He says his brothers and sisters were also sexually abused. Each of the victims from Los Angeles will receive about $1.3 million. Gene says while he thinks it will help those victims to hear the church admit wrongdoings by priests, he and others can't forget what happened to them as children. "The hurt, the pain, the anger toward the church and the damage that it does to you psychologically stays with you the rest of your life," says Gene. Catholic churches in the U.S. have now paid more than $2 billion dollars in settlements to victims of sexual abuse and their families.
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