Cash Wont Heal Abuse Wounds Despite $660 Million Settlement, Victims Dismayed Cardinal Won't Have to Testify in Court, Reuters, July 17, 2007

Cash Won't Heal Abuse Wounds
Despite $660 Million Settlement, Victims Dismayed Cardinal Won't Have to Testify in Court

Reuters
July 17, 2007

http://www.thestar.com/News/article/236612

los Angeles–As plaintiffs sobbed and Cardinal Roger Mahony sat silently in court, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles and victims of clergy sex abuse yesterday finalized their record $660 million (U.S.) settlement.

Although Mahony publicly apologized after mass on Sunday to the 508 plaintiffs, several victims voiced frustration that the leader of the largest U.S. Roman Catholic diocese won't have to testify in court.

"For $660 million, he bought himself out of testifying in our case," said Steve Sanchez, 47.

The settlement reached Saturday after 4 1/2 years of negotiations came before the first trial was to begin yesterday. Victims' attorneys would have called Mahony –who has led the archdiocese since 1985 and has been accused of attempting to conceal abuse cases – to testify about the church hierarchy's protection of abusive priests.

"If he were sorry, there wouldn't be convicted and admitted pedophile priests still on his payroll today," said Lee Bashforth, 37, molested by a priest when he was 7.

The church, in which priests take a vow of celibacy, has faced abuse allegations worldwide for the past decade. Victims have alleged church leaders often knew of the abuse but did not do enough to stop it.

The deal settles all 508 cases that remained against the archdiocese, which also paid $60 million in December to settle 45 cases that weren't covered by sexual abuse insurance.

The settlements push the total amount paid out by the U.S. church since 1950 to more than $2 billion, with about a quarter of that coming from the Los Angeles archdiocese.

Previously, the Los Angeles archdiocese, its insurers and various Roman Catholic orders had paid more than $114 million to settle 86 claims. Several religious orders in California have also reached multimillion-dollar settlements in recent months, including the Carmelites, the Franciscans and the Jesuits.

The Los Angeles settlement dwarfs other landmark payouts. The Archdiocese of Boston, where the U.S. scandal erupted in 2002, reached a 2003 deal worth $85 million for 550 people.

Individual payouts, to be made by Dec. 1, will vary according to the severity and duration of alleged abuse. Plaintiffs' lawyers are expected to receive up to 40 per cent of the settlement.

J. Michael Hennigan, attorney for the archdiocese, faced the victims in court and said: "It is our deep regret that this took so long."

Once again, I apologize to anyone who has been offended, who has been abused in the Catholic church by priests, by deacons, by religious men and women and laypeople. It should not have happened and should not ever happen again Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony, after sunday mass

The victims scoffed at his remark, while Mahony, dressed in a plain black coat and white collar and wearing a crucifix pendant around his neck, sat silently next to him.

Mahony later released a statement that he will continue to meet privately with victims of abuse.

"I am aware that this day in particular is a day for the victims to speak," Mahony said, adding he will "spend the remainder of today in prayer for victims."

Superior Court Judge Haley J. Fromholz called the settlement "the right result" because the complexity of the cases would have merited many appeals.

The settlement funds will come from sales of real estate assets of the archdiocese, including its headquarters, as well as from insurers and other Catholic religious orders.

In addition to making payments to victims by Dec. 1, the archdiocese must release internal documents about the accused priests, including transfer, complaint and psychiatric records that could result in criminal prosecutions, said lead plaintiff attorney Raymond Boucher.

"These documents are far more important to the victims than any amount of money being paid out."

He said the settlement "was an acknowledgement to the victims that they did nothing wrong, that it was not their fault."

At least five priests have been convicted of child molestation charges brought by the Los Angeles County District Attorney, which says investigations continue into other allegations.

The lawsuit that was to be heard yesterday involved a priest, accused of abusing 18 boys, who died in 1987.

Sanchez, one of the victims in that case, said although the legal battle is over, the scars remain.

"Just because you have a settlement ... that doesn't erase the emotional scars and damage that's happened to all of us," Sanchez said. "Whether you give me a cheque for $10 or $10,000, where can I take that cheque and cash it in someplace to make me 10 years old again? I don't think that can happen."