The Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco (USA) has agreed to pay $395 million to settle more than 500 lawsuits related to sexual abuse of children by clergy members. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
Compensation will be paid to approximately 530 people who reported abuse. The agreement was reached three years after the archdiocese filed for bankruptcy amid numerous lawsuits.
Under the terms of the settlement, Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco must send a personal apology letter to each victim. Additionally, the archdiocese commits to implementing child protection reforms and increasing transparency.
Specifically, the church must publish an updated list of clergy accused of sexual abuse, including information about the charges and investigation results. The archdiocese will also be prohibited from using confidentiality agreements that limit victims' right to speak publicly about the abuse.
Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone stated that the agreement opens "a path to fair compensation for people who have carried the consequences of this abuse their entire lives." "We fully accept responsibility for what happened and sincerely apologize to all who suffered," he said in a statement.
One of the plaintiffs was Margie O'Driscoll. She said that nearly 50 years ago, she was sexually abused by a priest while attending Marin Catholic high school. "Like every victim, I carried this pain and shame for a very long time. Today, I think the shame will change sides," she said during a press conference.
According to attorney Jeff Anderson, who represents dozens of victims, a special committee will distribute compensation based on the circumstances of each case.
This is not the first major settlement by the Catholic Church in the US over such claims. In 2024, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles agreed to pay a record $880 million to settle sexual abuse lawsuits.