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The Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles has agreed to pay a $660 million settlement to 508 individuals with claims of sexual abuse against 221 priests, lay teachers, brothers, and other church employees. The Archdiocese also finally agreed to release the relevant church personnel documents to the public.
Largest Settlement in the U.S.
The settlement is in addition to more than $114 million already promised in previous settlements by the L.A. archdiocese, making the total liability $774 million, the largest settlement for sexual abuse by priests in the nation. The next largest settlements by the church are $157 million in the Boston archdiocese and $129 million in Portland, Oregon.
Just Before Trials Were to Begin
The agreement was reached on Saturday after years of stalling by the archdiocese, led by Cardinal Roger M. Mahony. The first of 15 scheduled trials was to begin today. According to a study by the Los Angeles Times, some three-quarters of the archdiocese's 288 parishes were served at some point by a priest or cleric accused of sexual abuse.
After the church's sex abuse scandal exploded into view in 2000, it was revealed that local diocese officials routinely covered up complaints from parishioners about the abuse, transferring errant priests to new parishes without treating or punishing them, and without notifying the new parishes about the priests' past.
Transferring Abusers to New Parishes
Cardinal Mahoney did remove 17 priests from their service over accusations of sexual abuse, but he let others who had been alleged to have abused children stay on, including Father Michael S. Baker, who has admitted to molesting more than 25 boys and girls during his time as a Catholic priest.
After Baker told Cardinal Mahoney that he'd molested children in 1986, Mahony sent him out of state for treatment, and later transferred him around to nine parishes, where he continued to abuse children. Baker now faces 15 charges of criminal behavior. The trial that was to begin today concerned the sexual abuse of children by Father Clinton Hagenbach, accused of molesting 18 boys in the 1970s and 80s.
An Admission of Guilt
Said one sexual abuse victim, Mary Ferrell, of the settlement news, "That amount of money is impressive in that it shows tremendous guilt. But I didn't file [the suit] for the money…. I would give back the money if I could have my childhood back."
(Source: Los Angeles Times online)
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