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Were you sexually abused as a child by a priest, deacon or any other member of the Catholic Church? You are not alone. We are here to help abuse victims. Stand up against your abuser and help prevent this from happening to someone else. Please fill out our confidential online contact form or call Toll Free 1-866-777-2557 and an Arizona Sex Abuse Lawyer will get back to you within 24 hours to discuss your possible case. This is a free consultation. There is no cost to investigate and there are no legal fees unless you receive financial compensation at the end of the case. Making the call is sometimes the hardest step, but it is often a necessary step on the road to healing. Church Sex Abuse Lawyer Arizona
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As part of the Pennsylvania grand jury report, one of the bombshells that came to light in the previously secret documents from the dioceses was the fact that some bishops would issue payments to victims in return for their silence. Yes, some victims were forced to sign settlement agreements that required their silence. If they told anyone about the abuse or settlement, they would be forced to pay money back to the Church.
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Among the 115,000 files that were revealed was a disgusting graph used in the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown, Pennsylvania, to decide the amount of money that should be paid to victims of sexual abuse. According to the Grand Jury Report, the bishop of the diocese from 1987 to 2011 was Joseph V. Adamec. Bishop Adamec had a reputation of sending back child sexual abusers to the ministry.
Settlements ranged from $10,000 to $175,000 depending on the severity and duration of the abuse. Specific factors included: the age of the victim, the numbers of situations, the use of booze or illegal drugs, the apparent impact on the victim, and the time period of the abuse over time.
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One specific case study: The Archdiocese of Ottawa in Canada. It has come to light that this Archdiocese has paid out tens of thousands of dollars in 1998 to a man who had allegedly been sexually abused by the Reverend Jacques Faucher in the 1970s. The archbishop issued a $50,000 settlement check to the man a year after he came forward regarding the abuse, and a condition of the payment was that the man would keep the settlement hush-hush.
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This settlement agreement only came to light during the criminal trial of Reverend Faucher in 2013. The document also rejected any legal responsibility on the part of the archdiocese. The man was also cautioned in the doc that he would be required to pay at least $20,000 back to the archdiocese if he breached the terms of the contract.
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