Catholic Diocese sets aside $12M for sex abuse claims

Sat, Jan 27, 2007

Associated Press

CHARLESTON ' The Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston announcedFriday it will settle child sex abuse claims in South Carolina,designating as much as $12 million for damages.

"It is my fervent hope that this settlement will allow us, as theCatholic community of faith in South Carolina, to bring closure to anugly period in our history," Bishop Robert Baker said.

The class-action settlement has been given initial approval by astate judge, said Larry Richter, an attorney for four victims whoseclaims were settled last summer.

Peter Shahid Jr., an attorney representing the diocese, said thechurch knows of at least eight other victims although others may comeforward.

Under the settlement, abuse victims could get anywhere from $10,000 to $200,000 while spouses and parents would receive $20,000.

Since 1950, there have been 50 abuse claims involving 28 clergy orothers diocesan employees settled for almost $3 million, Shahid said.Those claims were not a part of the new settlement.

Richter, himself a Roman Catholic, said it is unclear how many other victims may come forward.

"What you find in this area is people can't just be molested and thenext day step up to the plate and say 'I'm a victim,"' he said. "It'soften after a very painful time in life."

Baker said in a letter published in the diocesan newspaper on Fridaythat he deeply regrets "the anguish of any individual who has sufferedthe scourge of childhood abuse and I am firmly committed to a justresolution of any instance in which a person who holds theresponsibility of a protector has become a predator."

The settlement allows compensation for sexual abuse victims born before August 30, 1980, and their spouses and parents.

The attorneys said the 1980 date was negotiated generally to assurethe settlement would cover victims who otherwise could not sue becausethe statute of limitations would have expired.

The agreement sets up an initial pool of $5 million. If $4 million of that is paid, a second pool of $7 million will be added.

Richter said they arrived at the $12 million figure by reviewing settlements throughout the country.

An arbitrator will validate claims and determine the amount of compensation, according to the statement.

The diocese said it was encouraging anyone who was a victim to contact Richter.

John Barker, chief financial officer for the diocese, said the moneywould come from insurance, interest on investments and, if needed,selling church property.

"There have been dioceses that have declared bankruptcy," Shahidsaid. "The faithful should understand ... we have capped our liabilityat $12 million. Those (other) dioceses were faced with huge debts as aresult of claims and were forced into bankruptcy."

Diocese officials in South Carolina have said the incidence of childabuse has been lower here than the national average during the pasthalf century.

Statistics released by the church three years ago show that between1950 and 2002 about 4 percent of all American Catholic clerics wereaccused of abuse compared with 2.7 percent of the clergy in SouthCarolina.

A former South Carolina priest who pleaded guilty last year toassault and battery of a high and aggravated nature in the sexual abuseof two boys 30 years ago was the seventh former priest, coach orteacher in the diocese to plead guilty to abuse charges.

There are about 158,000 Catholics in South Carolina, almost fourpercent of the state population, according to the diocesan website.

A final hearing on the settlement will be held in early March.