The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York said on Oct. 6 that it has created a compensation program for people who were sexually abused by priests or deacons and are willing to forego lawsuits in exchange for an award to be determined by an independent mediator. Some advocates for victims of sexual abuse immediately assailed the program as an attempt to quash cases before New York’s legislature acts on a proposal to make it easier for victims to sue over abuse that happened years ago. Under the plan, people with abuse claims already pending with the church would have a limited time window—until Jan. 31—to apply for compensation. There will be no cap on the amount of compensation and the archdiocese has agreed to pay whatever amount mediators order. New York state lawmakers have debated extending the statute of limitations on suing sexual abusers of children or creating a window of opportunity for past victims to file civil suits against abusers. Such proposals have faced strong opposition from the Catholic Church and other institutions.
Abuse Compensation
Show Comments (
)
Comments are automatically closed two weeks after an article's initial publication. See our comments policy for more.
The latest from america
An important international conference in Rome on May 21 marks the 100th anniversary of the first Plenary Council of the Catholic Church in China. Here’s what you need to know.
During an audience with a delegation from Loyola University Chicago at the Vatican on May 20, Pope Francis said, “Education happens on three levels: the head, the heart and the hands.”
The proclamation comes just two weeks after the Jesuit priest who founded Homeboy Industries received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Joe Biden.
Argentina has been in a state of economic upheaval for years with two constants—a continuous increase in poverty and corresponding efforts by the Catholic Church to respond to that need.