Home News Diocese of Oakland Offers $117 Million Settlement for Sexual Abuse Claims Amid Criticism and Legal Scrutiny

Diocese of Oakland Offers $117 Million Settlement for Sexual Abuse Claims Amid Criticism and Legal Scrutiny

Diocese of Oakland Offers $117 Million Settlement for Sexual Abuse Claims Amid Criticism and Legal Scrutiny

To address numerous lawsuits alleging decades of sexual abuse by its priests, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland has proposed the creation of a trust seeking to compensate survivors with at least $117 million. This plan comes on the heels of the diocese’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing last year, a move that has drawn scrutiny and criticism from survivors and their advocates.

The Mercury News

reports that attorneys for the victims are labeling the proposal as both “pathetic” and “a scam and a sham”.

Bishop Michael Barber publicly expressed an apology “without reservation for the terrible suffering survivors have endured,” stating a commitment to survivor healing and safeguarding against future abuse within the church. Despite these words, the victim’s attorney, Jeff Anderson, is accusing the diocese of underestimating its assets, potentially misleading the public, claiming, as per

CBS News San Francisco

, “we believe the Diocese of Oakland’s bankruptcy filings undervalued its assets to deceive people, the parishioners, the public and the survivors.”

Survivors of the alleged abuse and their legal representatives argue that the settlement figures are inadequate when compared to other cases, particularly the $880 million settlement reached by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, which did not file for bankruptcy. According to the coverage by

ABC7 News

, attorney Rick Simons conveyed the survivors’ disappointment, stating, “It’s a definite message and the message is ‘You are not important.’ The message is ‘We don’t care!'”. Furthermore, he criticized the payment structure of the proposed settlement for delaying full compensation over several years.

Amidst these contentions, the diocese insists on the fairness of their plan. “We are committed to continuing the mediation process while seeking approval by the bankruptcy court for the proposed reorganization plan,” wrote Helen Osman, a spokesperson for the diocese responding to allegations, reiterating a commitment to equitable compensation, as reported by

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CBS News San Francisco

. Yet, Anderson and other advocates remain skeptical, given the diocese’s vast real estate holdings, which they assert have been undervalued in the settlement proposal with the end game of protecting church interests above those harmed.

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