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	Archbishop Says It Is up to Courts to Decide If Compensation Is Needed for Abuse Victims Winnipeg Free Press December 22, 2010 http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/world/breakingnews/archbishop-says-it-is-up-to-courts-to-decide-if-compensation-is-needed-for-abuse-victims-112313864.html Belgian archbishop Andre-Mutien Leonard says it is not up to the church to decide on any compensation for the victims of sexual abuse by priests but instead to the courts. The leader of the Belgian church appeared before a parliamentary inquiry committee into sexual abuse Wednesday in the wake of a yearlong scandal rocking the church. In April a bishop was forced to resign after years of abuse of his nephew. Since then, over 500 witnesses have come forward with harrowing accounts of molestation by Catholic clergy that span decades. There had been hope by some victims and their organizations that the church would agree to some compensation, but Leonard said up to civil authorities to decide whether the church has to pay for the abuse of its priests.
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