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San Diego Diocese Settles Sexual Abuse Claims for $198 Million
September 11, 2007

It's been a long and arduous wait for the 144 victims of sexual abuse by priests in the San Diego Diocese. On September 8, the Diocese agreed to a $198.1 million settlement, the second highest payment in the Catholic Church sexual abuse lawsuits. The highest settlement reached to date was by the Los Angeles Diocese, which in July paid out $660 million, bringing its total payments tally to $764 million.

Emotional scenes were witnessed at the courtroom as the claimants, many of whom have been doggedly pursuing the matter since the scandal broke out in 2002, wept and hugged each other. For victims of sexual abuse by San Diego clergy, the settlement was a long time coming as Diocese authorities protested that unlike Los Angeles, the San Diego diocese did not have access to insurance cover or other assets. The Diocese claimed making payments on such a large scale would cripple all the social service programs that they had undertaken. It initially offered a $95 million payout, and filed for bankruptcy, many say to prevent the lawsuits from going to trial. But Judge Adler disagreed with these arguments, saying the proposed settlement was far lower than the average payments made nationwide to victims of clergy abuse. Judge Adler also made it clear that at least 42 of the cases could end up in court. It was this specter of the lawsuits going to trial and the embarrassment that would ensue - if more embarrassment was indeed possible in this case - that seems to have prompted the San Diego Diocese to agree to a settlement. As part of this settlement, the Diocese will also release information on other priests who are suspected of having abused children in their charge.

There's something bittersweet about this settlement. Many of the accused parish members either don't work for the church anymore or are dead. While financial compensation cannot bring back lost innocence and shattered trust, the massive amounts of money involved in such settlements will hopefully pressure the Church to introspect its own role in the scandal and implement firm measures to prevent such incidents from occurring again. The Diocese owes it to a generation of Californians, for whom church will never be a safe or comforting haven again.

If you or a family member were sexually abused as a child and wish to seek legal action against the perpetrator, it is crucial to act quickly and to retain an experienced and well-resourced attorney. Contact The Reeves Law Group immediately for a free consultation and explanation of your legal rights as a victim of childhood sexual abuse.

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