Catholic Diocese of San Diego faces chapter over ‘staggering’ abuse lawsuit fees

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego stated Friday it will record for chapter within the coming months because it faces “astonishing” felony prices to trade in with some 400 court cases alleging monks and monks. alternative sexually abused youngsters.

In a letter because of be shared with parishioners this weekend, Bishop Robert McElroy stated the instances had been filed next California lifted the statute of obstacles on kid sexual abuse claims.

Meeting Invoice 218, which used to be signed into regulation in 2019, permits alleged sufferers to sue till past 40. Moreover, starting in 2020, he opened a three-year window to sue without a past prohibit.

Many of the alleged abuse cited within the court cases took playground 50 to 75 years in the past, and the primary declare dates again to 1945, Kevin Eckery, director of communications for the diocese, stated at a press convention on Friday, reported KNSD-TV.

Eckery predicted it could value the diocese $550 million to settle the instances, none of which went to trial.

In his letter, the bishop stated not one of the court cases contain allegations towards a lately serving priest. “It reflects the reality that the Church has taken tremendous steps to eradicate child sexual abuse in its life and to promote the protection of minors,” McElroy wrote.

Even so, the diocese faces “enormous” felony prices and maximum of its belongings had been worn to settle earlier allegations with a $198 million payout in 2007, McElroy wrote.

“Even with insurance, the diocese will not be able to pay similar sums now,” the letter stated. “This challenge is compounded by the fact that a bill has now been introduced in the Legislative Assembly that seeks to eliminate the statute of limitations altogether, leaving the diocese vulnerable to possible legal action forever.”

Chapter would “provide a pathway” for the diocese to compensate sufferers of sexual abuse time proceeding to run its ministries, the bishop stated.

The diocese has greater than 100 lively monks and covers San Diego and Imperial counties, an department of ​​greater than 8,800 sq. miles (about 22,800 sq. kilometers) with a Catholic people of just about 1.4 million, in step with its web page. .