Dioceses pay $1.8M to vics
A PAIR of long-dead Bronx priests were identified as pedophiles as a half-dozen sex abuse survivors collected a $1.8 million settlement from two New York dioceses.
The agreement announced Wednesday covered abuses dating back as far as the 1950s and came under the church’s Independent Reconciliation and Compensation Program for victims.
Lawyer Michael Reck, in announcing the payouts, publicly accused a pair of Bronx priests for the first time as sexual predators: the Rev. Herbert D’Argenio and Msgr. Casper Wolf.
“We see two men that the Archdiocese of New York knew were child sex abusers, and they did nothing to warn children,” said survivor Joelle Casteix, who was not part of the settlement.
“They did nothing to tell parents. And they did nothing to reach out to the survivors for years. (Timothy) Cardinal Dolan should be ashamed of this.”
Both Wolf and D’Argenio are dead, as is a third priest identified at the news conference. Five other identified assailants are no longer serving as priests.
D’Argenio, who served at St. Theresa of the Infant Jesus Church in the Bronx from 1961-76, ran a group at his parish called “Herbert’s Boys” during his tenure.
Those involved in the settlement were five men and one woman.
The survivors, whose identities were not revealed, were abused in separate incidents, said Reck. They received settlements varying from $50,000 to $450,000 for cases of abuse that occurred across four decades: From the 1950s through the 1980s.
Spokespeople for both the Archdiocese of New York and the Diocese of Brooklyn said the settlements indicated the program was working.
“Victims are coming forward,” said Carolyn Erstad of the Brooklyn diocese. “They are free to share their stories, including the names of their alleged abusers, while receiving financial compensation from the church.”
Archdiocesan spokesman Joe Zwilling agreed: “We have asked people to come forward and participate in the program, and the program does seem to be achieving its goal, thank God.”
Reck said public acknowledgment of the past abuse sent a message to other other survivors of the shared, often-secret pain.
“It is very important that they know that they are not alone,” he told a Manhattan news conference. “They are not the only ones.”
Reck also urged victims to come forward before the upcoming deadlines to register for a second phase of compensations — Nov. 1 for the Archdiocese of New York, Dec. 21 for the Diocese of Brooklyn and Dec. 31 for the Diocese of Rockville Centre.
“That’s a very fast-approaching deadline for any survivor who wants to participate,” he said.
This past May, Reck announced a similar $2 million settlement on behalf of seven men who were abused as children by priests.
Casteix said the settlements can help the victims heal.
“It is not a perfect plan,” she said. “However, for many survivors of sexual abuse, it is the only option for them to come forward.”
She also hopes state legislators extend the civil statute of limitations, giving survivors a chance to confront their attackers in court.
“It should not be up to church structures to regulate themselves,” said Casteix. “Should survivors be given a chance at the courtroom like everyone else? Yes, they should.”