Documents filed in the Archdiocese of New Orleans’ five-year bankruptcy case have revealed new details about how compensation will be distributed to victims if a proposed settlement is approved.
According to The Guardian, the plan will use a “point system” in which each abuse claim is assigned points based on the severity of the abuse and its impact on the victim’s life. The exact monetary value of each point remains unknown.
The proposed settlement, valued between $180 million and $235 million, will go to a vote in October. Hundreds of survivors of childhood sexual abuse by clergy will decide whether to approve or reject it. For the deal to pass, at least two-thirds of voting survivors must be in favor. Many, however, say they are waiting to see the final formula before making their decision.
Alexandria, Louisiana, personal injury lawyer Richard Arsenault is reviewing hundreds of abuse claims.
He will assess the nature and lasting effects of each case and assign between zero and 100 points to each. As an example, guidelines value rape at 75 points; filming or photographing abuse at 20; nude images, or pornography at 10. Grooming carries five points, while sexually explicit statements without physical contact are assigned three points.
Survivors will not know the value of each point until all claims have been reviewed and scored.