German Catholic college in 1-million-dollar abuse payoutMonter and Critics, September 6, 2011
Ettal, Germany - Payouts to victims of abuses at an elite Catholic boarding school in Germany will total 700,000 euros (1 million dollars), the Benedictine Order of priests said Tuesday.
Church investigators concluded that teachers practised cruel punishments and sexual molestation of boys at Ettal Monastery School, a baroque abbey high in the Alps near the ski resort of Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
Individual payments are to range from 5,000 to 20,000 euros depending on the harm done in cases that stretch back over the past 60 years. The total will include cash compensation, refunds of legal costs and bills to counsel victims.
An independent panel investigated the cases and drew up the compensation plan.
A rash of sex-abuse allegations against Catholic priests in Germany came into the open at the start of 2010. The Benedictine and Jesuit orders opened inquiries, as did the Conference of German Catholic Bishops.
All have now adopted compensation plans and monitoring rules to prevent any repeats.
