$2.1 billion paid to US catholic abuse victims so far

The San Jose Mercury News reports on 14 July of some of the larger payments which have been made by the catholic church in the United States since 1950.

The figures, quite frankly, are astounding, and it's not the money that is scary, but the number of affected people. Quite frankly, the money isn't enough. How does one put a price on the cost of destroying a child's innocence, or ruining a person's life?

By paying money the church has tacitly acknowledged the victim status of these people. How many innocents however are still out there, afraid to come forward, or unable to come forward, or not willing to come forward?

Some of the numbers reported by the San Jose Mercury include:

• Archdiocese of Los Angeles: approximately 500 victims
• Archdiocese of Boston: 552 victims
• Archdiocese of Portland, Oregon: 175 victims
• Archdiocese of Louisville: 243 victims

All up, in the San Jose Mercury article, 2,199 people were tacitly acknowledged by the church as victims in payouts from 9 dioceses.

That's an average of 244 victims per diocese. The LA Times, also covering the payout for the Los Angeles Archdiocese, cited research from Cardinal Roger Mahony which found that:

3 out of every 4 parishes in the archdiocese had been assigned a priest accused of sexual abuse.

While parts of the report were challenged, the LA Times goes on to say:

Later review showed that seven cases of suspected pedophiles who had been allowed to remain in the ministry were not disclosed in the report. Complaints against four other priests were identified, but with omissions. The church has said the report was never intended to be comprehensive.

It is unimaginably vile to think that this many people have been abused and robbed of their innocence by supposed "moral" guardians.

References:

• San Jose Mercury News: "Some major settlements in Catholic clergy abuse cases"
• LA Times: "Archdiocese settles abuse case for $660 million"