Pennsylvania's Roman Catholic Dioceses are starting to announce details about victim compensation funds they're setting up, nearly three months after a sweeping Grand Jury report documented decades of child sexual abuse by Priests in the state.
The Archdiocese of Philadelphia and the Dioceses of Harrisburg, Scranton and Allentown on Thursday disclosed some information. The Erie Diocese says it's setting up a fund, but isn't ready to disclose details.
In statements, the Dioceses describe sources for the money, including borrowing, property sales, investments and insurers.
A legislative effort to change State law to allow a 2-year window for people to sue in abuse cases that are otherwise too old to pursue was blocked by Republican State Senators last month.
None of the Dioceses have disclosed how much money would be put invested into the compensation funds, but the money reportedly will not be drawn from the donations that parishioners make to their churches regularly.
The announcements of the funds follows a failed, months-long effort by victims and their advocates - as well as lawmakers in the Legislature - to reform the statute of limitations to allow victims timed out of the legal system to have a day in court.
Under state law, victims must pursue criminal cases by the age of 50 and civil cases by the age of 30.
With few exceptions, almost all cases unearthed by the 18-month-long grand jury investigation fall outside the bounds of the statute of limitations.
Some victims have protested that the fund is a way to escape accountability, protecting the Catholic Church from lawsuits.
Benjamin Andreozzi, an attorney who is working with victims from each of the dioceses that were investigated by Shapiro’s office, said he had spent the day on the phone with victims, explaining to them the compensation program.
“Many clients have already decided that they want to give the claims program a try, although they are not optimistic that they will be treated fairly by the Church,” said Andreozzi, who also represents victims in the Archdiocese of New York.
He said it was doubtful the compensation program would be totally acceptable to victims.
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