Catholic Archdiocese Offers Free Sex Abuse Therapy
By Kalyn Belsha in News on Mar 7, 2009 11:30PM
Courtesy of Archdiocese of Chicago
This comes on the heels of its annual report released earlier this month that revealed the Archdiocese paid more than $15.8 million in legal settlements related to sexual abuse in 2008 - bringing its total in claims over the last decade to $80.2 million.
Some of the money paid last year involved suits against Daniel McCormack, a former priest at St. Agatha Church in North Lawndale who pleaded guilty in 2007 to sexually abusing five children. He is now serving a five-year prison sentence.
The Archdiocese says the new therapy groups aren't limited to people who were sexually abused by members of the Catholic church - any victim of sexual abuse is eligible. Starting this month, the groups will meet with licensed counselors for 12 weeks.
A second free program for family members of victims who were abused as children by priests or deacons of the Catholic church will also begin meeting this month. [Trib]