Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego

San Diego, CA: (Sep-08-07) Several plaintiffs brought charges against the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego, alleging that they were victims of clergy abuse. In a settlement reached, the Catholic Church agreed to pay $198.1 million to the more than 144 men and women. The victims will receive an average payout of $1.38 million for sexual abuse they suffered from priests and church workers when they were minors. The settlement included repeated apologies from the San Diego bishop and assurances that the offenders' histories will be made public. There was strong reaction from parishioners and a striking debate by attorneys over whether the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego could have settled for tens of millions of dollars less had it not filed for bankruptcy six months ago.

Church officials said the diocese's portion of the settlement, more than $107 million, will come from a combination of cash, stocks and bonds, the sale of real estate, and loans that have yet to be arranged. Insurance will cover an additional $76 million. The rest will come from the San Bernardino diocese. [UNION TRIBUNE: PRIEST ABUSE]

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Published on Sep-15-07