Here in this country, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles has agreed to pay at least $660 million to 500 victims of sexual abuse dating back as far as the 1940s. The settlement is the largest in any Roman Catholic diocese. Attorney Ray Boucher said the final payout could be even larger.

Ray Boucher: “At this time we’re still working on trying to get the cases resolved. If we are able to get them resolved, it will be. … The $600 million figure that has been talked about is not an accurate number; it should be significantly above that number if we’re able to complete a settlement.”

Overall, the Catholic Church in the United States has so far paid more than $2 billion in settlements and legal judgments to victims of sexual abuse and their families. Cardinal Mahony of the Los Angeles Archdiocese issued an apology on Sunday.

Cardinal Mahony: “The one thing I wish I could give the victims, I cannot, which is a restoration to where they were originally.”