Boston archdiocese to settle with 88 abuse victims

BOSTON (Reuters) – The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston
on Thursday said 88 people will settle claims they were
sexually abused by priests, agreeing to a much smaller payout
than a first group of abuse victims received.

Kelly Lynch, a spokeswoman for the archdiocese, said the 88
agreed to participate in a first round of arbitration scheduled
to take place in March and April. The archdiocese has offered
average payments of $75,000 per person.

This settlement will come three years after the Boston
Archdiocese, which was at the heart of a national pedophile
priest scandal, reached a global settlement with roughly 540
victims for $85 million, paying each person roughly $153,000.

Mitchell Garabedian, a lawyer for the some of the
plaintiffs, said under the agreement the church would pay out
roughly $6.6 million. Lynch declined to give a number for the
proposed settlement.

Both said other suits are still outstanding.

Garabedian said his clients were told they will receive
anywhere between $5,000 and $200,000 to settle their claims.

Arbitrators will determine how much each victim will
receive based on how serious the claim is, Lynch said.

“This is an important first step in resolving pending
claims of sexual abuse of children by priests of the
Archdiocese of Boston,” Lynch said.

But lawyers for the victims said their clients have been
angry since this settlement was first proposed late last year.

“My clients signed the deals because they want to reach
closure,” Garabedian said. “But they feel insulted by it.”

Since the scandal, the Archdiocese of Boston has faced
financial pressure which forced it to close more than 60
churches and schools as donations to churches across the United
States and in Boston declined.