Church sex scandals' heavy legacy

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Lawyers working on the litigation say abuse could eventually cost $1bn.


Church sex scandals' heavy legacy
By Robert Pigott
BBC religious affairs correspondent


The agreement of a Roman Catholic diocese to pay $100m (£53m) in compensation to victims of sex abuse takes the Church in America past another milestone in the settlement of its long drawn out scandal.

Several US archdioceses had to file for bankruptcy over the scandals
The fact that the Diocese of Orange, in Los Angeles, is spending so much in meeting the claims of only 90 people, with another 544 cases outstanding there, gives an idea of the crippling financial burden on the Church.

Other dioceses have found the price of abuse more than they can manage.

The Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon filed for bankruptcy last July. Tucson in Arizona and Spokane in Washington chose to follow suit.

The Archdiocese of Portland has begun an advertising campaign, calling on anyone abused by priests there to come forward, as part of the bankruptcy procedure.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4149677.stm

THE $1BILLION estimate excludes lawsuits current and pending in the UK, Europe, Asia and elsewhere.

[NYC]

1. Money gets people's attention.

This may cause them to prevent child abuse.