In a notable turn of events the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles has come to terms with 1‚353 individuals‚ agreeing to pay $880 million for claims of childhood sexual abuse by priests. This settlement‚ disclosed on 10/16/2024 stands as the largest of its kind for a US diocese addressing long-standing abuse allegations
Jose H. Gomez‚ the Archbishop expressed remorse stating‚ “Im sorry for every one of these incidents from the bottom of my heart“ He added that he hopes this settlement will offer some healing to the victims
The Archdiocese began addressing these claims after California passed a law (roughly two years back) that allowed new lawsuits based on past sexual abuse involving minors. This legal change‚ along with similar ones in other states‚ has led many large Catholic organizations across the US to seek bankruptcy protection
Unlike some other California dioceses – San Francisco‚ Oakland‚ and San Diego – which filed for bankruptcy‚ the Los Angeles Archdiocese reached this settlement without such measures. Gomez mentioned that the Archdiocese would use cash reserves investments‚ loans‚ and contributions from other religious organizations named in lawsuits to make payments. He assured that this wouldnt affect their mission of “serving the poor and vulnerable in our communities“
Attorneys for both the Archdiocese and the Plaintiffs Liaison Counsel representing abuse claimants released a joint statement. They thanked survivors for sharing their stories and ensuring similar abuse wont happen in the future. The Plaintiffs Liaison Counsel emphasized‚ “While there is no amount of money that can replace what was taken from these 1‚353 brave individuals who have suffered in silence for decades there is justice in accountability“
This settlement marks a significant step in addressing decades-old abuse claims‚ providing some measure of closure for the victims while holding the institution accountable for past wrongdoings