The Allentown Diocese in Pennsylvania has so far paid nearly $16 million to survivors of Catholic Church sexual abuse committed by members of the clergy.

The money has been paid out through the Allentown Diocese’s Independent Reconciliation and Compensation Program, designed to compensate victims of this abuse. As the program draws to a close, it has made payments to 96 sex abuse victims.

The Allentown Diocese established its compensation program alongside six other Catholic dioceses in Pennsylvania in response to the groundbreaking grand jury report in 2018 that exposed decades of abuse by hundreds of priests throughout the state. The investigation found evidence of the abuse of about a thousand children. However, the investigation noted that there were likely thousands more children who had been subjected to abuse by these and other priests in the state, who had just not been identified.

“As a consequence of the coverup, almost every instance of abuse we found is too old to be prosecuted,” the report said.

Of the priests named in the report, 37 were from the Allentown Diocese, and the diocese itself added about 15 more names to the list.

The Independent Reconciliation and Compensation Program took applications from survivors between April and September 2019. The diocese received 106 applications. Of those applications, 96 have been accepted and paid out. Just three were deemed ineligible, and six applicants were offered compensation totaling $1.18 million among them, but rejected their offers. One offer remains outstanding.

These payments under the compensation fund averaged about $165,000 per survivor, though they did vary depending on the severity of the abuse. The largest settlement from the Allentown Diocese fund was $400,000, who says he was abused by two of the priests within the Allentown Diocese who were named in the grand jury report. Like many similar compensation funds, the financial compensation came with the stipulation that anyone who accepted a payment would not then sue.

How Will the Allentown Diocese Get the Funds?

The Allentown Diocese set aside millions for the fund, noting that the fund would be built on available cash, borrowed money, and the sale of assets, and promised that it would not be funded by parishes or donations. The diocese did not specify how much money was available.

Notably, the individual offers were substantially less than what successful lawsuits by Catholic sex abuse victims might be able to obtain. However, this option did offer victims a way of having their experiences validated and gaining some amount of compensation without going through the process of litigation.

While the time allowed for compensation from the fund is running out, the diocese’s potential liability is not over. Indeed, several people have filed lawsuits against the Allentown Diocese in Pennsylvania and New Jersey courts. In New Jersey, there is a two-year lookback window for victims of childhood sexual abuse to file lawsuits who would normally be excluded by the statute of limitations.

“Survivors of sexual abuse deserve opportunities to seek redress against their abusers,” said Gov. Phil Murphy in a statement after the signing. “This legislation allows survivors who have faced tremendous trauma the ability to pursue justice through the court system.”

A similar opportunity was opened up in Pennsylvania for clergy sex abuse victims because of an appeals court ruling in an Altoona-Johnstown Diocese case that allowed a survivor to bring an outdated claim before a jury. The decision could prevent similar cases from being dismissed on statute of limitation grounds.

That ruling is currently under review by the state Supreme Court, and in the meantime has prompted a new wave of litigation against Pennsylvania dioceses, at least 20 of which name the Allentown Diocese.

Filing a Catholic Sex Abuse Lawsuit

If you are a survivor of childhood sex abuse by a Catholic priest or other Catholic leader—even if the abuse or sexual assault occurred years or even decades ago—you may be eligible to file a lawsuit and pursue compensation. Of course, filing a lawsuit cannot take away the pain and trauma caused by this kind of abuse, but it can at least help to provide monetary compensation, as well as hold those responsible accountable for their actions.

Filing a lawsuit can be a daunting prospect, so Top Class Actions has laid the groundwork for you by connecting you with an experienced attorney. Consulting an attorney can help you determine if you have a claim, navigate the complexities of litigation, and maximize your potential compensation.