Hmmm, that isn’t really fair. I am assuming this was a minor child. In the eyes of some Catholic parents (mine included!) priests are minor deities unto themselves. I am sure that even if the boy was 16 or 17 years old, he was in a powerless situation. That is why there are statutory rape laws in the first place.
Now, the damages against the parish are crazy. My parish is in this same Diocese, and we are hanging by a thread. I mean, when it snows too much, we have a special collection because we can barely keep the books balanced. If we got hit with something like this, which is beyond the control of the parish community, it would make the parish fold. Period. How was it demonstrated that the parish was liable?
I went back and read more carefully. He says that he was a small boy that was hauled up the steps to the priest’s room. It doesn’t sound like he had much choice. What recourse does a little kid have? Who would have believed him?
I guess I am different I know for a fact that the first time a priest would have tried that crap with me I would have stopped going to that church and my parents would have been all over his superiors.
As for why the parish should pay for what this priest did I do not think they should have to unless there were complaibts and they did noting to interfer.
even if the boy was 16 or 17 years old, he was in a powerless situation.
wrong again kemosabe, no 16 or 17 year old young man is powerless. I work in a juvenile corrections facility and believe thee me, those kids are a long way from helpless. They do, however, sometimes display homosexual tendencies and are therefore willing to go along with an older person who promises them physical pleasure. This does not, in any way, meet the “child abuse” description. It is simply an older and a younger homosexual encounter.
Depends a bit on Delaware Law, I am no legal expert by any means, but there are a few different categories a Parish may fall under, fee simple and corporation sole are two. Both imply similar but different liabilities they can incur.