-Jesuits settle Northwest sex abuse cases for $166 million

-Catholic Church's third-largest deal in U.S. involves more than 450 victims

By DONNA GORDON BLANKINSHIP

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updated 3/25/2011 8:05:17 PM ET

SEATTLE— In one of the largest settlements in the Roman Catholic church's sweeping sex abuse candal, an order of priests agreed Friday to pay $166.1 million to hundreds of Native Americans and Alaska Natives who were abused at the order's schools around the northwestern U.S.

The Jesuit order, called the Oregon Province of the Society of Jesus, has been accused of using its schools in remote villages and on reservations as dumping grounds for problem priests. Attorneys representing the mostly Native American and Alaskan Native victims said the abuse added to the mistreatment already endured by these children, some of whom were forcibly removed from their homes to attend these schools.

The settlement between the more than 450 victims and the province also calls for a written apology to the victims and disclosure of documents to them, including their medical records.

"It's a day of reckoning and justice," said Clarita Vargas, 51, who alleges she and her two sisters were abused by the head of St. Mary's Mission and School, a former Jesuit-run Indian boarding school on the Colville Indian Reservation near Omak, Washington state, in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

The abuse began when they were as young as 6 or 7, she said. "My spirit was wounded, and this makes it feel better."

St. Mary's now operates as Paschal Sherman Indian School and is run by the Colville Tribe.

The province ran village and reservation schools in Oregon, Washington state, Idaho, Montana and Alaska. The claims are from victims who were students at schools in all five states.

The Very Rev. Patrick Lee, speaking for the Oregon Province, said the organization would not comment on the settlement announcement because of its ongoing bankruptcy proceedings, "as well as out of respect for the judicial process and all involved."

He said the province hopes to conclude the bankruptcy process as quickly as possible. The province previously settled another 200 claims. Then it filed for bankruptcy in 2009, claiming the payments had depleted its treasury.

An issue that surfaced when the bankruptcy proceedings got under way was the relationship between the province and other Jesuit properties, such as Gonzaga University. Attorneys for the victims initially argued the province was wealthy because it controls and owns Gonzaga, along with Gonzaga Preparatory School, Seattle University and other schools and properties.

Both Gonzaga and the Jesuit order maintain they are separate entities, and victims' attorneys did not pursue the issue during bankruptcy negotiations. Neither Gonzaga nor the other schools are contributing to the settlement announced Friday.

California attorney John Manly, who represented some of the abuse victims, contends the Jesuits knowingly put molesters in a position to abuse children.

"It wasn't an accident. The evidence showed they did it on purpose and it was rape," Manly said.

He added he was certain not all the victims have come forward, and he believes the pattern of abuse among Catholic priests continues.

Both the order and its insurers are paying into the settlement. About $6 million of the settlement is being set aside for future claims.

Attorney Blaine Tamaki said the priest who molested Vargas and about 100 other children has not been charged with a crime because the statute of limitations in Washington state is so restrictive. A bill before the state's 2011 Legislature would remove that statute of limitations.

The settlement is believed to be the Catholic Church's third-largest in the sex abuse cases, behind the Los Angeles Diocese, which agreed to pay $660 million to 508 victims, and the San Diego Diocese, which agreed to pay $198 million to 144 victims, according to the website BishopAccountability.org.

© 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: https://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42271040/#

 

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Discuss this article

TheOverlordRestored

This is disgusting! They just continue to pay-off people for their institutionalized rape of children! The Catholic Church must be banned, dismantled and sold-off to pay victims a REAL level of compensation. Religion is a dangerous primitive belief system that was just as wrong 2000 years ago as it is today. Stop the madness - quit believing in zombie sky-wizards and PLEASE stop sending your children into the pedophile arms of your priests!

#1 - Fri Mar 25, 2011 2:25 PM EDT

TheOverlord

I was just curious what a molested, raped and permanently scared child is worth to the Catholics? Well, it turns out they are worth $332k ($166M/500=332K)... not a bad price considering no jail time for the serial rapist priests and the fact that the parents of the kids paid the settlement with their tithes!

Essentially, Catholics are funding the systematic rape and molestation of their own children. These kids should be removed from these unsafe families since it seems clear Catholics can't or won't protect their own children.

#1.1 - Fri Mar 25, 2011 2:46 PM EDT

deb-1797732

I just read the story of a local man who is coming out now against 3 priests. His family was very close to this priest of this church. He was an alter boy and the three priest passed him around for sex like he was a bottle of whiskey. His mother noticed a change in him around the years this occurred but never looked into it. He just recently started having flashbacks and horrible nightmares about the abuse, he shut it off for years. The reason I mention this is because the statue of limitations runs out after 5 years. That needs to be changed, yes there are civil trials but these men need to be in jail. Parents need to go to the police not the archdiocese's, they have done nothing but move these guys around. I feel they should be tried as conspirators I'm not sure of the statue on that but I think at this magnatude the Vatican and the catholic church as a whole could be tried.

#1.6 - Fri Mar 25, 2011 4:02 PM EDT

Danny-1914275

unfortunately, they happen to be laying on children!

#137.1 - Fri Mar 25, 2011 10:50 PM EDT

ccipaul

When are the Catholics going to realize their religion just doesn't work. It was invented by a Roman Emperor! Priests and Nuns are celibate because of a jealous Pope! It is not natural! Let them have a normal life and the majority of this will go away.

#138 - Fri Mar 25, 2011 10:13 PM EDT

mediamaniac

Catholics are complicit in the molestation of children by clergy. You continue to allow it to happen because you turn a blind eye to it. Shame on you.

#139 - Fri Mar 25, 2011 10:14 PM EDT

Danny-1914275

Matilda. Hon. The Pope coming out, waving his hands, saying "oh, i'm sorry this happened" and then, walking back inside to his golden halls is unimpressive.

The Church still continues to victimize every victim, forcing them to go through embarrassing court trials where the church's lawyer brutally victimize their accusers on the stand -- even in the face of overwhelming evidence, the Church refuses to own their deeds, and simply make remunerations to the victims.

You think $110,000 per person is fair (and that amount is BEFORE the lawyer's piece) for what they endured? REALLY? Would you be ok if someone repeatedly butt-raped you for years, and then, gave you about 60- to 70-grand for your problems, 20 years after the violence occurred, and only after a grueling, embarrassing court case where you are forced to relive everything in front of your family and in public, and then, the Pope stood out on his lanai one afternoon, waved his hands, and said "Oh, I'm sorry this happened to you..."

Really? Are you that vacant?

#141.6 - Sat Mar 26, 2011 12:46 PM EDT

Don Coulson

I find it ironic that these men and the church leaders were allowed to perpatrate these horric crimes. And now the non profit organization thinks they pay out millions of dollars to ease their minds and think they can erase their crimes.

#143 - Fri Mar 25, 2011 10:23 PM EDT

DragoSurfer

The horror, the in-humanity! This is yet another case among thousands in the just the last decade of religious leaders raping children! When will it ever stop? Just try to imagine the horror of a small child being confronted by a priest. There is no one for you to go to, no one to tell of the torture you suffered at the hands of this religious rapist. All rapist priest should all be hung with a piano wire. Just kill them, end of story.

#149 - Fri Mar 25, 2011 10:57 PM EDT

Dominique-1751272

I went to a Catholic high school in Albuquerque, New Mexico, St. Pius X in 1967-9, and had a priest who taught us religion, and was always very mean, haughty and condescending to us, and especially to one of my friends, a very pretty girl. His name was Father Perrault, and we found out years after I graduated that he had just gotten out of the rehab center for pedophile priests, which at that time was in New Mexico. He was in the newspaper years later because I believe he was molesting again. I hope he has been put in jail, but if he hasn't and you know him, keep any children away from him. I think he was a molester of boys. The Catholic church is a playpen for pedophiles, a boy's club and rotting from within.

#258 - Sat Mar 26, 2011 4:26 PM EDT