Despite Roman Catholic dioceses in Pennsylvania committing money to compensate victims in Catholic Church sex abuse cases, lawyers question whether their clients might benefit from civil claims by using a potential loophole in the statute of limitations.

Pennsylvania victims have received an average of $160,000 each from six Roman Catholic dioceses which have paid a total of $56 million in 350 claims.

The Diocese of Harrisburg paid $12 million to settle 106 sexual abuse claims, for an average of $114,000 per claim. In urban areas, such as at the Archdiocese of New York, settlement claims average $200,000 per victim, according to The (Harrisburg, Pa.) Patriot-News.

Among the factors involved in determining proposed settlement amounts are the type and extent of the sexual abuse, the period of time the abuse occurred, the amount of time victims and their lawyers are willing to wait for their ideal payout, and the diocese’s capacity to pay.

Catholic Church Sex Abuse Cases Hinge On One Outcome

WJAC-TV reported in June that a panel of judges ruled that a clergy sexual abuse lawsuit filed by a Pennsylvania woman against the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown can continue.

A lower court had previously dismissed the suit citing the statute of limitations, which only allows a victim two years after turning 18 to file suit, but the panel said the plaintiff “can try to persuade a jury that church officials’ silence about the priest amounted to fraudulent concealment,” according to WJAC.

The case involved the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown, where the alleged victim says she was sexually abused by a priest decades ago, but only found out in 2016 that she could hold the diocese liable for allegedly covering up the abuse.

Rulings May Result in More Lawsuits

Another case may also open new avenues for victims seeking compensation. In John Doe v. Archdiocese of Philadelphia, an Atlantic County judge ruled that sexual abuse allegations against a Pennsylvania priest could be brought in the state of New Jersey because the victim alleges the abuse occurred during excursions to the Jersey shore.

Settlements in Catholic Church sex abuse cases are relatively low because of the lobbying strength wielded by church officials, according to Marci Hamilton, founder and CEO of CHILD USA, and a law professor at the University of Pennsylvania.

“What is frustrating about the low compensation program numbers is that we know it is a result of the bishops’ lobbying to delay justice for the victims,” Hamilton said in an interview with PennLive. “The values were discounted because the claims are out of statute. With the current political balance in Harrisburg, however, it is difficult to see much light at the end of the tunnel for the victims’ access to real justice.”

Despite the Church’s efforts to put the sexual abuse history behind it, a Catholic priest from Pennsylvania’s St. Joseph’s Parish in Downingtown was arrested last week for allegations that he used $125,000 in donation checks for personal use. According to USA Today, Father Joseph McLoone, 56, is accused of giving $1,200 to a New York prison inmate, and $1,720 to men he met on Grindr, a social networking app for gay, bi, trans and queer people. McLoone has been charged with felony theft and related crimes for using funds from parishioners for personal gain. 

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