Millions of dollars have been paid to California victims of Catholic priest child abuse and the deadline for compensation is fast approaching.

The Independent Compensation Program (ICP) for Victim-Survivors of Sexual Abuse of Minors by Priests was established in order to compensate those who were sexually abused as children by priests. The ICP was announced in May and launched in September, with six Catholic dioceses in the Golden State participating: San Bernardino, Orange, Los Angeles, San Diego, Fresno, and Sacramento. The compensation fund is administered by third parties, who have mediated similar Catholic victim compensation programs across the country, according to the San Bernardino Sun.

Former California Gov. Gray Davis sits on the compensation program’s Independent Oversight Committee and announced earlier this month that so far, 427 people have come forward with their own stories of sexual abuse to the program.

“It is clear that the ICP is succeeding in achieving its objective, empowering victim-survivors with another option to pursue justice and healing,” said Gov. Davis. “There has been a high level of interest and we are seeing victim-survivors being treated with the dignity and respect they deserve.”

Regarding the benefits of the compensation program, Gov. Davis noted that “ICP settlements are typically paid within 90–120 days, which is significantly faster than years of litigation. Moreover, in the ICP process, victims have unilateral control over their own confidentiality, and they are free to share as much or as little about their claim as they wish.”

It is important to note that California victims of Catholic priest child abuse have until Jan. 31 to seek compensation from the ICP. This is the deadline by which they must have at least registered online with the ICP, whereupon their claim will be considered.

After registration, claims that are determined to be potentially eligible have until Mar. 31 to file for compensation.

At least 85 victim-survivors have filed claims with the ICP so far. Final processing has been completed in 61 of these cases, and about $3.94 million has been authorized to be distributed among 39 victims thus far. In the coming months, the number of victims who will be compensated is expected to skyrocket as claims are filed and processed.

Filing Claims For Catholic Priest Child Abuse

A growing number of victims of childhood sex abuse are coming forward with allegations, many of which are within the Catholic Church and include allegations against priests and Catholic school teachers, among others. Many have also accused the church of covering up evidence of abuse.

If you are a victim of Catholic priest child abuse — even if the abuse occurred years or decades ago — you may be eligible to join the growing number of Catholic priest sex abuse cases and receive compensation.

This article is not legal advice. It is presented
for informational purposes only.