The Archdiocese of Chicago said it has agreed to pay more than $12.7 million to settle lawsuits by 16 people who accused 11 priests of sexual abuse. The Archdiocese serves more than 2.3 million Catholics in over 378 churches in Chicago and surrounding suburbs. Also made public during the settlement proceedings was the candid 300 plus page deposition in the case by Chicago Cardinal Francis George.
In all there were 14 cases involving sexual abuse by 10 priests, and two relate to the Rev. Daniel J. McCormack, who pleaded guilty last year to charges of abusing five children. McCormack is now serving a five year prison sentence.
Estimates now put what the archdiocese has paid out at $65 million to settle approximately 250 claims during the past 30 years, said its chancellor, Jimmy Lago. But the Chicago Tribune said that since 2002, $77 million has been paid to victims of abuse through settlements. The Chicago Archdiocese settlement figures are lower than Los Angeles at $660 million and San Diego at $198.3 million the Tribune reported.
When asked by Insurance Journal for a list of insurance companies or information about how payments for the $12.7 million settlement would be paid, Archdiocese Media Director Susan Burritt said that, “the Archdiocese would not disclose the names of the insurance companies because it is considered proprietary information.” She added some of the settlement money would be coming from the sale of underperforming real estate owned by the diocese.
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