Recent reports show that Catholic sex abuse victims have been compensated millions of dollars from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

Since the Independent Reconciliation and Reparations Program began in November 2018, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia has reportedly paid Catholic sex abuse victims a shocking $19.6 million. This amount was reportedly distributed among 93 people that made claims with the program.

“All claimants are also being offered various forms of counseling and other non-financial support to address the suffering and trauma they have been forced to endure by prior acts of abuse,” says a recent report on the Catholic Church sexual abuse program by Catholic Philly.

167 individuals have reportedly filed claims with the Independent Reconciliation and Reparations Program. 93 individuals have been awarded compensation with awards averaging over $211,000. New claims to be reviewed in the next round of the program must be submitted by July 31, 2019.

Independent Reconciliation and Reparations Program

The Independent Reconciliation and Reparations Program is a voluntary compensation program that was established by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia in November 2018. The program is run by mediators Kenneth R. Feinberg and Camille Biros who have also helped run similar programs in other Pennsylvania dioceses as well as programs in New Jersey and New York.

When victims file a claim with the program, their allegations are reviewed by Feinberg and Biros with no involvement from the Archdiocese. The two mediators will make a decision regarding each claim, including how much each victim can recover. This amount will then be paid by the Archdiocese.

If victims recover compensation from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, they are barred from taking any further legal action against the church regarding their claims. However, recovering compensation does not prohibit victims from talking about their experiences.

This means that victims can still share their experiences and speak out against the Catholic Church sex abuse scandal without violating any sort of legal agreement.

Pennsylvania Catholic Church Sex Abuse

The Washington Post reports that in August 2018, the Pennsylvania Attorney General released a grand jury report which revealed decades of sexual abuse within the Catholic Church. The report showed that over 300 priests from Pennsylvania were guilty of abusing more than 1,000 children.

The grand jury report was 1,400 pages long and described some cases of abuse in detail, but most of these allegations were reportedly covered up by the church after victims came forward.

According to the grand jury’s report, “[p]riests were raping little boys and girls, and the men of God who were responsible for them not only did nothing; they hid it all. For decades.”

Although the report exposed widespread abuse covered up by the church, many of the instances uncovered were too old to be prosecuted. In some cases, the offending priests have already died or have been dismissed from the church. In almost all situations, victims were unable to resolve their legal claims.

“We all wish more charges could be filed, but due to the church’s manipulation of our weak laws in Pennsylvania, too many predators were out of reach,” Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro said in a news conference.

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