Los Angeles Archdiocese Agrees to Pay $880 Million to Over 1,300 Victims of Clergy Sexual Abuse
The Archdiocese of Los Angeles has agreed to pay $880 million to victims of clergy sexual abuse dating back decades, marking what an attorney described as the largest single settlement for child sexual abuse involving a Catholic archdiocese.
The announcement of this agreement in principle was made on Wednesday, October 16.
After the announcement, Archbishop José H. Gomez said in a statement, “I am sorry for every one of these incidents, from the bottom of my heart.”
“My hope is that this settlement will provide some measure of healing for what these men and women have suffered,” the archbishop added.
“I believe that we have come to a resolution of these claims that will provide just compensation to the survivor-victims of these past abuses.”
Attorneys representing 1,353 individuals who allege they suffered horrific abuse by local Catholic priests reached the settlement after months of negotiations with the archdiocese.
This agreement concludes a quarter-century of litigation against the most populous archdiocese in the United States.
In a joint statement, attorneys from the Plaintiffs’ Liaison Committee said, “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.”
Under the settlement terms, the plaintiffs will engage in a process independent of the archdiocese to allocate the settlement funds among themselves.
The archdiocese has previously paid $740 million to victims in various settlements and had committed to enhancing protections for its church members.
With this new settlement, the total payout will exceed $1.5 billion.
Attorney Morgan Stewart, who led the negotiations, stated that the settlement represents the largest single child sexual abuse settlement with a Catholic archdiocese.
“These survivors have suffered for decades in the aftermath of the abuse. Dozens of the survivors have died. They are aging, and many of those with knowledge of the abuse within the church are too. It was time to get this resolved” Stewart said.
The settlement will be financed through the archdiocese’s investments, accumulated reserves, bank financing, and other assets.
According to the archdiocese, certain religious orders and other parties named in the litigation will also contribute to covering some of the settlement costs.
You may be interested

Military Kills 1,770 Terrorists, Arrests Over 3,000 In North-West – CDS
gisthub - Apr 25, 2025The Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, has disclosed that the Nigerian Armed Forces neutralised at least 1,770 terrorists and arrested…

Bloom PFM earns ISO certification
gisthub - Apr 25, 2025Bloom PFM, a Nigerian facility management firm, has earned the ISO 9001:2015 certification, marking a significant step in its pursuit of quality and…

Kenyan Woman Shot Dead By Her Babydaddy After Domestic Squabble In The US
gisthub - Apr 25, 2025A tragic incident occurred in the United States on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, when Hulda Bochere Mosiori, a 42-year-old mother of four from…
Most from this category

Killings: Alia Guarantees Corps Members’ Security In Benue
gisthub - Apr 25, 2025
Akpabio Heads Nigerian Delegation To Pope Francis’ Funeral
gisthub - Apr 25, 2025
Russia Detains Romanian Suspected of Espionage for Ukraine
gisthub - Apr 25, 2025
Leave a Comment