SAN DIEGO (CA)
NBC 4 News
May 17, 2019
By Melissa Adan
The Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego created a new compensation fund for victims of clergy sexual abuse, and several victims are speaking out against it.
On Tuesday, the Diocese of San Diego joined five other California dioceses with a compensation fund program for victims abused by clergy members.
“Do you know what it’s like to be terrorized, tormented, abused and knowing that you can do nothing about it?” said one victim named Dede.
On Thursday, four victims shared how they were abused by their priest when they were children.
“You’re nine years old — but you have to be a horrible person, otherwise, why would they do it?” Dede said to a room full of media.
The victims came together through attorney Irwin Zalkin and the Survivor Network of those Abused by Priests, known as SNAP, to speak against the new victim compensation fund.
Zalkin has represented more than 100 victims of childhood sexual abuse involving clergy members.
“What happened to me and others is a crime and should be treated as a crime,” said Bill, a victim of abuse.
Bill said he was first abused by his neighbor and considers himself collateral damage when he confided this with his priest.
He said after sharing his abuse, the priest told him his neighbor had done nothing wrong and then began to abuse him.
“What’s going to stop the abuse is mandatory reporting. What’s going to stop the abuse is a statute of limitations extension. What’s going to stop the abuse is opening up a window, so older people who didn’t come forward because of shame, because of feeling a failure that somehow they were to blame,” Bill said.
Esther Hatfield Miller, a member of SNAP, said the compensation fund will not work because survivors will not get their day in court nor be able to expose wrongdoings of coverups or enforce accountability.
“A compensation fund like this does not reform statues of limitations. We need to reform those ancient laws,” Miller said.
Aida Bustos with the Diocese of San Diego said victims can decide to accept the compensation and seek other legal remedies.
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