Los Angeles Abuse Cases Are Settled for $10 Million
By NEELA BANERJEE
Published: October 28, 2006
WASHINGTON, Oct. 27 — The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles and a Catholic religious order have agreed to pay $10 million to settle claims made by seven victims of sexual abuse by clergy members, lawyers for the parties involved said Friday.
While the amount per victim is large relative to payments made to settle sexual abuse cases in other parts of the country, it is typical of the sums paid in California, which has a taken a strong stance toward the Catholic Church. In 2003, for example, the state extended its statute of limitations for child sexual abuse cases, and the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office has been conducting a criminal investigation into the archdiocese since 2002.
More than 95 percent of the $10 million settlement will be paid by the religious order, the Carmelites, Province of the Most Pure Heart of Mary, which is based in Darien, Ill. The archdiocese will pay less than 5 percent, lawyers for the plaintiffs and the order said.
The settlement for the most part is not covered by the Carmelites’ insurance, said Jim Geoly, the order’s lawyer, adding that the order might have to borrow money to pay the sum....
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The seven plaintiffs accused four Carmelite priests and one Carmelite brother of sexual abuse in a period from the early 1950s to the late 1970s....
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/28/us/28settle.html