The Independent Victim Compensation Program established by the Roman Catholic Church in New Jersey has finished accepting claims from those who say they were sexually abused by members of the clergy. More than $11 million has already been paid out.

Alleged victims began submitting claims to the church – the Archdiocese of Newark and the Dioceses of Camden, Metuchen, Trenton and Paterson – in June 2019. By the end of January, when the deadline to file new claims had expired, more than 560 people had applied, according to NJ.com, and 69 people had reached settlements.

What is the Independent Victim Compensation Program?

Church officials announced the creation of the Independent Victim Compensation Program in February 2019 to offer survivors of sexual abuse by clergy an alternative to taking the cases to court. The program is voluntary and private, and those who participate in it are free to reject settlement proposals and pursue legal remedies instead.

Those who accept settlements under the compensation program, however, must agree not to file civil actions against the church later.

The program is being administered by Kenneth Feinberg and Camille Biros, who have done the same work for compensation funds for priest abuse victims in New York and Pennsylvania as well as for the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund, the BP Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill Fund and a fund for those victimized in the Penn State University sexual abuse scandal.

The settlement offers will be based on the type and frequency of the abuse, among other factors, NorthJersey.com said. The churches will pay for the settlements with “self-funded insurance reserves, the possible sale of diocese property and borrowing.”

Why Was the Victim Compensation Program Set Up?

The Independent Victim Compensation Program was created “to acknowledge the wrongs endured by victims (and) the Dioceses failure to prevent that harm, and (to) provide support for victims/survivors abused as minors,” according to a frequently asked questions and answers document posted on the program’s website.

Statewide, the Catholic Church had previously paid out at least $50 million in settlements to close the book on claims of sexual abuse, NJ.com reported. In February 2019, New Jersey dioceses released a list of 188 priests and deacons it deemed “credibly accused” of sexually abusing minors as far back as the 1940s.

The program allows victims the opportunity to address their abuse claims directly with the church, and privately, which may be preferable to those who don’t want to make their experiences public.

Meanwhile, State Attorney General Attorney Gurbir S. Grewal’s office has a task force investigating claims of sexual abuse by members of the Catholic clergy and attempts to cover it up by church leaders through the years. The task force has been working on the matter for nearly two years.

Can I Still Make a Claim for the Independent Victim Compensation Program?

The window of opportunity to make claims to the Independent Victim Compensation Program closed on January 31. Individuals who began the claims filing process before that date had until February 15 to complete their applications. No new claims are being accepted by the program at this time.

What Other Avenues Are Available if I Missed Out?

Victims of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy in New Jersey have options even if they missed the deadline to file a claim with the Independent Victim Compensation Program. The program was voluntary and does not prevent those who did not join it from participating in class action lawsuits or filing individual legal claims in court.

New Jersey lawmakers made it a little easier for victims to seek justice in civil court by passing the Child Victim’s Act in May 2019. The new law extends the statute of limitations and opened up a two-year lookback period that essentially waives the statutes of limitations for all previous childhood sex abuse claims. During this time, survivors can file lawsuits over abuse that took place at any time, even if the claims were previously dismissed because they were filed too late, according to The National Law Review.

Several lawsuits have already been filed thanks to the lookback allowance, and lawyers representing plaintiffs in those cases have said many others are in the works.

Those who were sexually abused by Catholic clergy, or at the hands of members of any organization – Boy Scouts, athletic programs or other clubs, for example – might consider taking legal action to seek compensation for the mistreatment. A qualified civil attorney can help to answer questions and provide legal counsel in those instances.

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