SEATTLE (AFP) -- Trong một vụ thương lượng trong những vụ giải quyết các vụ lạm dụng tình dục nghiêm trọng nhất đang lan rộng của Giáo Hội Công Giáo La Mã, một dòng tu đồng ý chi trả 166 triệu đô bồi thường cho gần 500 nạn nhân người Da Đỏ đã bị các linh mục lạm dụng tình dục khi theo học ở các trường đạo miền Tây Bắc Hoa Kỳ.
Một chi nhánh Dòng Tên mang tên Hiệp Hội Giêsu Tỉnh Hạt Oregon, bị tố cáo là đã lợi dụng các trường sở ở miền quê xa và ở các khu bảo tồn văn hóa dân da đỏ là nơi phế thải cho các tu sĩ có vấn đề. Luật sư đại diện cho nạn nhân hầu hết người Mỹ da đỏ và thổ dân Alaska cho biết, việc lạm dụng chồng thêm lên các vụ ngược đãi các em đã chịu đựng, một số các em đã bị buộc vào nội trú các trường này.
Hầu hết các em bị lạm dụng tình dục là do các CHA Tỉnh Dòng Province --
đơn vị phụ trách linh hướng các tiểu bang Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Idaho
và Montana -- tại các trường truyền đạo ở các khu bảo tồn văn hóa dân da đỏ,
từ các thập niên 1940 cho tới thập niên 1990.
Cô Katherine Mendez, 53 tuổi, kể rằng cô bị linh mục John
Morse lạm dụng tình dục khi cô vào học trường nội trú St. Mary’s Mission ở Omak, tiểu bang
Washington, lúc mới 11 tuổi. Cô nói, “Cha Morse bắt đầu lạm dụng tôi gần như
tức khắc khi tôi vào trường này. Tôi phải giữ kín bí mật trong nhiều năm.
Cuối cùng, khi bước ra tố cáo mới thấy là nhiều bạn khác cũng bị như vậy...”
Các nạn nhân ở tuổi từ 9 tới 14 tuổi khi bị lạm dụng. Hầu hết sự lạm dụng
xảy ra trong các thập niên 1950, 1960 và 1970.
Cuộc thương lượng buộc Dòng Tên phải viết thư xin lỗi các nạn nhân, và
phải chia sẻ các hồ sơ quan trọng tới nạn nhân, thí dụ hồ sơ y tế cá nhân.
Trong gần 500 học sinh bị lạm dụng, có gần 200 là học trò gốc Alaska.
Tỉnh Dòng Tên tại Oregon hiện đã khai phá sản Chương 11. Họ cam kết sẽ
tiếp tục “làm việc với ủy ban các chủ nợ để hoàn tất tiến trình phá sản ở
mức nghiêm túc có thể được.”
-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
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: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42271040/#
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