Richmond, Va. (Newsradiowrva.com) - The Richmond Catholic Diocese has announced it is creating a fund to compensate victims of abuse by its priests. The announcement comes just days after the Diocese revealed another potential abuse case, incolving a now-retired priest. The allegation dated to the 1970s.
The fund does not have a set amount of money in it, as the Diocese says they do not know how many claims will be made. It will be administered by a Richmond-based firm, and claims need to be made by April 3rd, which is under two months away.
The Diocese says it will pay for it through insurance, investments, and loans. A Spokeswoman says school and parish assets will not be used.
In a statement, Bishop Barry Knestout said, “We will never be able to fully compensate for the harm done and we recognize there are many routes that might be followed to achieve justice. We believe this to be the best course for our diocese to reach a just reconciliation with our victim survivors.”
The fund's wesbite can be found here.