The lawsuit also alleges Assembly Bill 218's passage prompted the diocese to enter into an"Independent Compensation Fund," which provides settlements to victims whose claims first must be approved by a claim evaluator. The suit alleges those victims would have been eligible to file lawsuits due to AB 218, but instead were coaxed into submitting claims through the Independent Compensation Fund and settled"for pennies on the dollar.
Zalkin said,"They have developed a PR spin on how they're concerned about victims and they want to do the right thing by victims, but at the end of the day, it's all about the money and protecting their assets, protecting their brand, over protecting the safety and welfare of children." In a written statement sent to NBC 7, Kevin Eckery, Communications Director for the Catholic Diocese of San Diego wrote:
“Since the founding of the Diocese of San Diego in 1936, under canon law the assets of each parish have been separate and independent from the Diocese. Over 10 years ago, long before Assembly Bill 218 was introduced, the Diocese began the process of formalizing in civil law the separate legal status of each parish and its assets. This included recording proper legal title for each parish to its own real estate.
The sexual abuse of minors by priests and the way it was handled in the life of the Church constitute the greatest sin of our Church in the last century. We must and will continue to protect minors with even deeper vigor, provide healing resources to those who have been abused, and use our Diocesan assets to compensate those who were victimized. And we will never forget the harm that we have done.
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