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Tuesday 3 december 2019

New wave of abuse suits could hit church like never before

Continued from Front "The survivors coming for-
ward now have been hold-
That has lawyers fighting for ing on to this horrific experi-
clients with TV ads and bill- ence all of their lives," she
boards asking, "Were you said. "They bottled up those
abused by the church?" emotions all of these years
And Catholic dioceses are because there was no
considering bankruptcy, place to take it."
victim compensation funds AP interviews with more
and even tapping valuable than a dozen lawyers and
real estate to stay afloat. clergy abuse watchdog
"It's like a whole new begin- groups offered a wide
ning for me," said 71-year- range of estimates but
old Nancy Holling-Lon- many said they expected
necker of San Diego, who at least 5,000 new cases
plans to take advantage against the church in New
of an upcoming three-year York, New Jersey and Cali-
window for such suits in fornia alone, resulting in
California. Her claim dates potential payouts that
back to the 1950s, when could surpass the $4 billion
she says a priest repeated- paid out since the clergy
ly raped her in a confession sex abuse first came to light
booth beginning when she in the 1980s. In this Nov. 20, 2019, photo, Nancy Holling-Lonnecker, 71, poses with a picture taken of her as a
was 7 years old. Some lawyers believe pay- young girl, at her home in San Diego.
Associated Press

outs could be heavily in- than 400 cases against the Marsh said. Church leaders
fluenced by the recent church and other institu- who had for years lobbied
reawakening over sexual tions were filed on the first statehouses against loos-
abuse fueled by the #Me- day alone. That number ening statute-of-limitations
Too movement, the public is now up to more than laws say this is exactly the
shaming of accused ce- 1,000, with most against kind of feeding frenzy they
lebrities and the explosive the church. New Jersey's were worried about. And
Pennsylvania grand jury two-year window opens some have bemoaned the
report last year that found this week and California's difficulty of trying to coun-
300 priests abused more three-year window begins ter accusations of abuse
than 1,000 children in that in the new year, with a new that happened so long
state over seven decades. provision that allows plain- ago that most witnesses
"The general public is more tiffs to collect triple dam- have scattered and many
disgusted than ever with ages if a demonstrable of the accused priests are
the clergy sex abuse and cover-up can be shown. long dead.
the cover-up, and that will Arizona, Montana and Ver- "Dead people can't de-
be reflected in jury verdicts," mont opened ones earlier fend themselves," said Mark
said Mitchell Garabedian, this year. Chopko, former general
a Boston attorney who was Already, longtime clergy counsel to the U.S. Confer-
at the center of numerous abuse lawyer Michael Pfau ence of Catholic Bishops.
lawsuits against the church in Seattle says he's signed The church's response
in that city and was por- up about 800 clients in weighs heavily on com-
trayed in the movie "Spot- New York, New Jersey and pensation funds and bank-
light." California. Boston's Ga- ruptcy.
Since the 15 states rabedian says he expects New York Archbishop Timo-
changed their laws within to file 225 in New York, plus thy Dolan set up the first
the past two years, the on- at least 200 in a half-dozen fund in 2016, pitching it as
slaught of lawsuits is com- other states. Another vet- a way to compensate vic-
ing in waves. eran abuse litigator, James tims without walloping the
This summer, when New Marsh, says he's collected church and forcing it to
York state opened its one- more than 200 clients in cut programs. It has since
year window allowing New York alone. paid more than $67 million
sexual abuse suits with no "A trickle becomes a to 338 alleged victims, an
statute of limitations, more stream becomes a flood," average $200,000 each.q