In article <7a6auv81bt9n0ov5qs82e7k7o5gmek0lii@4ax.com>,
stoney <stoney@the.net> wrote:

http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CHURCH_ABUSE_SETTLEMENTS?SITE=MIDTN
&SECTION=US&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

http://makeashorterlink.com/?W23523DD6


Dec 20, 5:36 PM EST

Alleged Victims Learn Church Settlement

By THEO EMERY
Associated Press Writer

BOSTON (AP) -- Months of litigation against the Boston archdiocese over
clergy sex abuse ended Saturday as victims learned what portion of an
$85 million settlement they could expect from the church.

The announcements, released first to the victims' attorneys, capped
months of mediation in the nation's largest known financial payout over
clergy abuse.

Over the past two months, hundreds of men and women tearfully detailed
their accounts of rapes, molestation and assaults to arbitrators charged
with dividing up the settlement.

Alexa MacPherson, 28, of Boston, said the award brought her little
comfort because of the lingering effects of years of abuse.

"This money, it means nothing," said MacPherson, who declined to say how
much she was awarded. "In a way, I wish that I didn't even have it,
because I need to find the change and the peace within me, and right
now, that's not happening, even though I'm getting this check."

Archbishop Sean P. O'Malley said he recognized that money cannot
adequately compensate victims for their suffering.

"We hope that the conclusion of this phase of the settlement will
provide survivors and their loved ones with some measure of healing and
peace," he said in a statement.

Lawyer Mitchell Garabedian said he received the breakdown of the awards
for his clients from church attorney Thomas Hannigan Jr. just after 10
a.m. He immediately began telling his 120 clients.

"It's a bittersweet process," he said. "Some clients are happy, some are
not happy."

About 540 victims have been allocated between $80,000 and $300,000 each
under the agreement reached with the Archdiocese of Boston in September.
Specific numbers for each victim weren't released.

Ten people - all alleged victims of the Rev. Paul Shanley or their
families - have elected to press on with lawsuits. In addition,
attorneys said Saturday at least seven new lawsuits have been filed in
recent days.

The Rev. Christopher Coyne, a spokesman for the archdiocese, said the
checks, which will be made out on Monday, will close only one chapter of
the victims' crisis.

"There is still a lot of work that needs to be done in terms of healing
for the survivors and their families," he said.

The clergy abuse scandal began in early 2002, when court documents in
the case of defrocked priest John J. Geoghan revealed the church knew
about allegations against him, but kept him in ministry, moving him from
parish to parish. Geoghan, convicted of molesting a 10-year-old boy, was
killed in prison in August.

Lawyers for alleged victims forced the church to turn over personnel
files that showed dozens of priests had been accused of abuse. In July,
Attorney General Thomas Reilly released a report saying that 250 priests
and church workers probably molested as many as 1,000 people between
1940 and 2000.

In September, the victims reached the $85 million settlement with the
church. The church, which has agreed to pay about $4 million more to
other victims, has announced it will sell church property to help meet
its obligations.

As part of the settlement, arbitrators have spent the last two months
meeting with each victim. The awards aim to reflect the type and
severity of abuse, and the psychological harm caused to victims. The
arbitrators finished their deliberations Friday.

David Carney, 37, of Rockland, said he was pleased with how quickly the
arbitration went and that the church has taken responsibility for the
abuse. Still, he said, "My pain will be there.

"It might not be there strong every day, but it will be there. It will
be a remembrance," Carney said.

John J. King, 40, of Methuen, said the process drained him. King, an
alleged victim of convicted child rapist the Rev. Ronald H. Paquin, said
it's time to be with his daughters, to go to work, to drive the
coastline of California and "stick his toes in the ocean."

"For me, I'm tired," he said. "That's how I feel. I'm tired. I have no
solace in any of this."

Copyright 2003 Associated Press.

I'd like to know why there aren't more priests, and the bishops and
cardinals who protected them in jail.

In article <7a6auv81bt9n0ov5qs82e7k7o5gmek0lii@4ax.com>,
stoney <stoney@the.net> wrote:

http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CHURCH_ABUSE_SETTLEMENTS?SI
TE=MIDTN &SECTION=US&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

http://makeashorterlink.com/?W23523DD6


Dec 20, 5:36 PM EST

Alleged Victims Learn Church Settlement

By THEO EMERY
Associated Press Writer

BOSTON (AP) -- Months of litigation against the Boston archdiocese
over clergy sex abuse ended Saturday as victims learned what portion
of an $85 million settlement they could expect from the church.

The announcements, released first to the victims' attorneys, capped
months of mediation in the nation's largest known financial payout
over clergy abuse.

Over the past two months, hundreds of men and women tearfully
detailed their accounts of rapes, molestation and assaults to
arbitrators charged with dividing up the settlement.

Alexa MacPherson, 28, of Boston, said the award brought her little
comfort because of the lingering effects of years of abuse.

"This money, it means nothing," said MacPherson, who declined to say
how much she was awarded. "In a way, I wish that I didn't even have
it, because I need to find the change and the peace within me, and
right now, that's not happening, even though I'm getting this check."

Archbishop Sean P. O'Malley said he recognized that money cannot
adequately compensate victims for their suffering.

"We hope that the conclusion of this phase of the settlement will
provide survivors and their loved ones with some measure of healing
and peace," he said in a statement.

Lawyer Mitchell Garabedian said he received the breakdown of the
awards for his clients from church attorney Thomas Hannigan Jr. just
after 10 a.m. He immediately began telling his 120 clients.

"It's a bittersweet process," he said. "Some clients are happy, some
are not happy."

About 540 victims have been allocated between $80,000 and $300,000
each under the agreement reached with the Archdiocese of Boston in
September. Specific numbers for each victim weren't released.

Ten people - all alleged victims of the Rev. Paul Shanley or their
families - have elected to press on with lawsuits. In addition,
attorneys said Saturday at least seven new lawsuits have been filed
in recent days.

The Rev. Christopher Coyne, a spokesman for the archdiocese, said the
checks, which will be made out on Monday, will close only one chapter
of the victims' crisis.

"There is still a lot of work that needs to be done in terms of
healing for the survivors and their families," he said.

The clergy abuse scandal began in early 2002, when court documents in
the case of defrocked priest John J. Geoghan revealed the church knew
about allegations against him, but kept him in ministry, moving him
from parish to parish. Geoghan, convicted of molesting a 10-year-old
boy, was killed in prison in August.

Lawyers for alleged victims forced the church to turn over personnel
files that showed dozens of priests had been accused of abuse. In
July, Attorney General Thomas Reilly released a report saying that
250 priests and church workers probably molested as many as 1,000
people between 1940 and 2000.

In September, the victims reached the $85 million settlement with the
church. The church, which has agreed to pay about $4 million more to
other victims, has announced it will sell church property to help
meet its obligations.

As part of the settlement, arbitrators have spent the last two months
meeting with each victim. The awards aim to reflect the type and
severity of abuse, and the psychological harm caused to victims. The
arbitrators finished their deliberations Friday.

David Carney, 37, of Rockland, said he was pleased with how quickly
the arbitration went and that the church has taken responsibility for
the abuse. Still, he said, "My pain will be there.

"It might not be there strong every day, but it will be there. It
will be a remembrance," Carney said.

John J. King, 40, of Methuen, said the process drained him. King, an
alleged victim of convicted child rapist the Rev. Ronald H. Paquin,
said it's time to be with his daughters, to go to work, to drive the
coastline of California and "stick his toes in the ocean."

"For me, I'm tired," he said. "That's how I feel. I'm tired. I have
no solace in any of this."

Copyright 2003 Associated Press.

I'd like to know why there aren't more priests, and the bishops and
cardinals who protected them in jail.