New clergy sex abuse claims against archdiocese pour in as filing deadline arrives
As a 5 p.m. deadline to file sex abuse claims against the Catholic Church loomed, roughly 50 claimants filed forms saying they were preyed upon by members of the clergy.
Another 370 claimants filed proof of claim forms saying the Archdiocese of New Orleans owed them millions of dollars for other reasons, from outstanding utility company bills to accidental falls on church property.
The New York-based firm processing the compensation demands received at least 56 claims in which the claimant’s name and address was intentionally omitted, a likely signal those were filed by anonymous clergy abuse victims.
That number is likely to grow, according to attorneys counseling alleged victims.
Uncertainty surrounding the total number and value of claims could linger throughout the week. Claims can