New Record Sexual Abuse Settlement Reached With Archdiocese of Los Angeles
In the largest clergy sexual abuse settlement involving the Catholic Church, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles agrees to pay $880 million.
After months of negotiations, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles (AOLA) agreed to pay $880 million to approximately 1,300 survivors of sexual abuse by priests it employed. This settlement is in addition to the AOLA’s previous $740 million payout, bringing the total amount to over $1.5 billion. This is the largest sexual abuse settlement involving the Catholic Church, according to the Los Angeles Times, and brings an end to 25 years of litigation against the AOLA.
Over 300 priests who worked in the AOLA have been publicly accused of sexually abusing minors over many decades. The settlement will be funded through a combination of AOLA investments, reserves, bank financing, and other assets, including funds paid by religious orders and others named as defendants in the litigation.
Many other lawsuits against the AOLA settled prior to 2014, after which the Church embarked on a series of reforms to prevent child sexual abuse among its clergy. Five years later, however, a change in state law gave adults more time to file lawsuits alleging childhood sexual abuse, leading to a resurgence in clergy abuse lawsuits against the AOLA.
Though the AOLA is the most populous diocese in the United States, and among the wealthiest, the new wave of lawsuits forced the AOLA to sell off some of its assets to property to finance the litigation. Over two dozen Catholic dioceses, including several others in California, have filed for bankruptcy in recent years due to sexual abuse claims stacked up against them. These petitions are accelerating, yet sadly are delaying justice for survivors and silencing scandals. Questions arise as to whether these organizations are truly insolvent, or if they are strategically using bankruptcy to deflect responsibility. Advocates for clergy abuse survivors are calling on Congress to reform the bankruptcy code to prevent the Church from using it to delay and/or deny justice for survivors.
“There has been a continuous, uninterrupted flow of hundreds of perpetrators in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles whose survivors deserve justice,” said Patrick Wall, an advocate for survivors of sexual abuse and a former Benedictine monk. Mr. Wall’s book, “Sex, Priests and Secret Codes: The Catholic Church’s 2,000 Year Paper Trail of Sexual Abuse,” explores historical perspectives of clergy sexual abuse, and the Church’s failures to disclose it.
Grant & Eisenhofer P.A. Takes Clergy Child Sexual Abuse Cases Nationwide. Contact Our Law Firm Today.
Our attorneys represent survivors of child sexual abuse at the hands of the Catholic church. We help our clients seek damages for the harm they suffered; oftentimes, decades after the abuse occurred. If you or a loved one are a sexual abuse survivor, speak with our attorneys as soon as possible. Our legal team can help you determine if you have a viable clergy sexual assault claim and answer your legal questions.
