Los Angeles Archdiocese to pay record RM4.16 million settlement in massive child abuse scandal

NEW YORK, Oct 17 — The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles has agreed to pay $880 million (RM4.16 billion) to 1,353 people who alleged they were sexually abused as children by Catholic priests, in the largest settlement of an American diocese. claims of abuse dating back decades.

Archbishop Jose H. Gómez expressed his pain at the abuses yesterday when announcing the agreement.

“I am sorry for all of these incidents, from the bottom of my heart,” Gomez said in a statement.

“My hope is that this settlement provides some measure of healing for what these men and women have suffered.”

The archdiocese began mediating abuse claims after California passed a law allowing new lawsuits to be based on past cases of child sex abuse.

The California law and similar laws in other states have prompted many large Catholic organizations to seek bankruptcy protection in the US. In California, the Archdiocese of San Francisco and the dioceses of Oakland and San Diego have filed for bankruptcy to resolve similar abuse claims.

The Archdiocese of Los Angeles reached its settlement without filing for bankruptcy. Gomez said the archdiocese could pay the victims with cash reserves, investments, loans and contributions from other religious organizations named in the lawsuits.

The payments will not affect the archdiocese’s mission to “serve the poor and vulnerable in our communities,” Gomez said.

Attorneys for the archdiocese and the plaintiffs’ liaison attorney representing the abuse claimants issued a joint statement yesterday thanking the survivors for coming forward with their stories and ensuring similar abuse does not occur in the future .

“While no amount of money can replace what was taken from these 1,353 brave individuals who have suffered in silence for decades, there is justice in accountability,” said Liaison Attorney for plaintiffs in a joint statement. — Reuters