LA Archdiocese Settles 4 Sex Abuse Cases For Nearly $10M
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Four men who were allegedly sexually abused by a former priest have reached a nearly $10 million settlement with the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles.
Vince Finaldi, the plaintiffs' attorney, confirmed the settlement against the archdiocese, former Cardinal Roger Mahony, and ex-priest Michael Baker, who the victims claimed abused them.
LA Archdiocese Settles 4 Sex Abuse Cases For Nearly $10M
Finaldi said he doesn't know how much money each entity will pay directly to the victims.
"We just know it's being paid. There's a total of almost $10 million being paid to four different plaintiffs. As far as the exact breakdown, we don't know exactly how that works out," he said.
Finaldi continued, "These are very, very good settlements. This is a major settlement for these victims and allows them to get therapy and begin their process of healing. It's a very good result for them."
The men, two of whom were brothers who filed lawsuits in June 2010 and January 2011, said Baker repeatedly molested them over a seven-year period dating back to the 1970s.
In 1986, Baker confessed to sexually abusing the children to Mahony, according to the lawsuits.
Mahony, however, eventually put him back in the ministry, where Baker molested again.
In December 2007, Baker pleaded guilty to a dozen sex charges and was sentenced to more than 10 years in prison.
The former priest was released in 2011.
More details on the settlement will be revealed at a news conference Thursday in Los Angeles.
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