LA Priest Scandal Payoffs

[Stinky The Clown]

They LA diocese is about to pay almost a billion dollars to the victims of priestly abuse.

In hearing the stories on this on teevee today, some apologist for the diocese suggested that some of the victims were, in fact, opportunists interested only in getting the money.

I guess it is always possible that some con artist can get in on the gravy train. But it seems to me that the numbers do not bear this out.

The LA diocese is the largest in the country. From that, we have less than 1,000 self-identified victims. There are about 4.5 million people in the diocese. To think that "government employees" did some sexual disservice to under a thousand "citizens" in a city that large is not so unbelievable when one considers the totality of the whole priest scandal thing.

Do you think there are a significant number of fraudulent 'victims' in the LA diocese priest scandal?

[msongs]

1. more likely, there are thousands more afraid or ashamed to come forward nt

[Stinky The Clown]

8. I agree ..... this is a David and Goliath thing, even if you allow for fair hearings .......

..... for the victims. Put some poor bastard (and maybe his lawyer and a few family members) who was abused thirty or forty years ago and pit him against the might of the CATHOLIC CHURCH.

Then there is, as you rightly point out, the matter of shame, no matter if you're an innocent victim or not.

Even in a fair setting, the overwhelming edge goes to the church.

[Mandate My Ass]

2. I, personally, believe them

As you mention, this scandal is countrywide and the abuses and cover-ups were swept under the carpet for a long time. In some places police were forbidden to investigate if the suspect was a priest. But no more.

Pedophiles go where they can prey on children, where better than the church?

[1620rock]

5. Yes, there could be a number of fraudulent 'victims' involved,

However that in no way impugns the actual victims.

[Stinky The Clown]

9. I'd bet a week's pay that the number of fraudulent victims who actually collect .......

...... anything under the payout is less than the number of hairs on the soles of my feet.

[Bluerthanblue]

14. I'll join you

in that wager.

Personally, I don't believe money is the answer~ but it seems to be our society's favorite tool.

And I also agree with the person who said that there are probably many more victims who will not/cannot come forward, than those who are making false claims.

[Richard Steele]

3. They aren't just handing out cash to anyone who comes forward, you know.

The Diocese has spent LOT$ on picking apart victim's stories,
finding any mistake or misstatement to trip them up with.

I doubt very many fraudulent claimants are getting anything-
more likely a lot of GENUINE victims have been discredited
and disqualified from the settlement agreement.

Given just the FACTS that we know about how all this went down
for so many decades, 1000 victims seems like a VERY small number
to me. Statistical probability says there are many more.

[Stinky The Clown]

10. I agree ...... I think the numbers could be several orders or magnitude higher than .......

.... the known numbers today. The church is getting a bargain in this settlement.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

4. the real fraud took place when the transfered bad priests

and hid records and complaints for 25 continuous yrs.

[MichiganVote]

6. Amen to that. I guarantee anyone you'll find more frauds in Congress than in this bunch.

[KansDem]

7. Who's going to jail for this?

The priests?
The church leaders?

No one's going to prison?

There are seven sex offenders living in my suburb; a couple just a few streets over from me. O.K., but do these Catholic perverts have to register? How about the bishops and cardinals who knew about this but did nothing?

This really irritates me...:grr:

[Disturbed]

12. The Catholic Church is a Multi-Billion $ Enterprise.

Their tax Exemption should be revoked.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

15. its profits, power and longevity are far more important than

treating their flock of sheeple properly.

[Stinky The Clown]

13. Bingo

They all, effectively, got away with it.

Sure, a few priests are in the slammer, but what about the enablers and those who covered it up? The cover up alone is MASSIVE.

[Stinky The Clown]

11. I honestly would like to have seent he coverer uppers charged with obstruction ......

... of justice. When they extended/suspended the statute of limitations for the victims, it should have been expanded to include the coverer uppers ..... you know .... the guys with the really fancy robes and funny hats.

[KAT119]

16. BINGO!!!