Church in the World

Biggest abuse deal settled

Americas

In the largest settlement to date in the clerical abuse scandal, the diocese of Orange County, California, has agreed to pay around $100 million (?55 m.) to 87 sexual victims of its priests.

Judge Owen Lee Kwong, who called the rival teams of lawyers to his courthouse for three days of intense negotiation, has ordered both attorneys and plaintiffs not to discuss the specifics of the deal, but it seems apparent that the total exceeds the $85 m. by the Archdiocese of Boston to 552 plaintiffs last year. Nonetheless, the Diocese of Orange, based in one of the wealthiest corners of America, a strongly conservative enclave south of Los Angeles, says that it will survive without bankruptcy and without closing any of its 56 parishes.

Bishop Tod Brown said the settlement would "fairly compensate the victims in a way that allows our Church to continue its ministry", while reiterating the diocese's "sincere apology, a request for forgiveness, and a heartfelt hope for reconciliation". One of the victims, David Rhomberg, 40, of Santa Ana, said "There's so many emotions coming through - satisfaction, vindication and a numbness." He said the settlement "completely validates what happened, and having the diocese come forward is wonderful".

California has become the centre of the national abuse scandal, eclipsing Boston, partly because the state responded to the crisis by suspending its statute of limitation, allowing people with accusations of long-ago abuse to file claims. In the case of Orange County, that left the diocese liable for habitual molesters, notably Fr Eleuterio Ramos, who admitted before his death to sexual abuse of dozens of boys, and Fr Siegfried Widera, who was convicted of molesting a boy in Milwaukee before being transferred to Orange County in 1977. Widera was removed from ministry as far back as 1985, and leapt to his death from a Mexican hotel room last year, as police arrived to extradite him on 42 further counts. The California Supreme Court has ruled that the Archdiocese of Milwaukee could be sued for Widera's offences, since they transferred him without telling Orange County of his record; that decision, which could have repercussions in many other suits, has been appealed to the US Supreme Court.

Meanwhile in California attention now turns to the nation's largest diocese, Los Angeles, which is struggling towards a settlement of nearly 500 claims; while around the country other dioceses reach agreement on smaller, but still gigantic sums $25.7m. by the Archdiocese of Louisville and $12 m. by the Archdiocese of Chicago in the last few days.
Richard Major, New York