The Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles will pay out a historic multi-million dollar settlement to more than 1,353 survivors of child sexual abuse, marking the largest ever payout in the history of the Catholic Church's clergy abuse scandals, according to a report.
Child sexual abuse involving clergy members within the LA Archdiocese has allegedly occurred for several decades, with vicotims coming forward since the 1940s and 1980s, the Los Angeles Times reported. A new law passed in 2019 that extended the statute of limitations for such claims gave victims additional time to file lawsuits, resulting in a resurgence of cases.
Now, after months of intense negotiations, the Archdiocese agreed to pay out a new settlement of $880 million. In the past, the Archdiocese paid out $740 million to victims in separate settlements, bringing the total payout for abuse claims to over $1.5 billion.
Archbishop José H. Gomez, who approved the settlement, expressed deep remorse for the Church's actions.
"I am sorry for every one of these incidents, from the bottom of my heart," Gomez said, according to the LA Times. "My hope is that this settlement will provide some measure of healing for what these men and women have suffered."
The new payout covers incidents dating back decades and includes funds from the Archdiocese's assets and investments.
"Today, as a result of these reforms, new cases of sexual misconduct by priests and clergy involving minors are rare in the Archdiocese," Gomez said. "No one who has been found to have harmed a minor is serving in ministry at this time. And I promise: We will remain vigilant."
Catholic dioceses across the nation have experienced financial instability due to these settlements, causing many to sell their property or forgo insurance coverage for all claims. Over two dozen have filed for bankruptcy.
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