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The Guardian
8 hours ago
- The Guardian
New Orleans church's proposed settlement with abuse survivors lays out ‘point' system
Documents filed recently in the New Orleans Roman Catholic archdiocese's five-year bankruptcy case provide more clarity on how claims will be doled out to victims of clergy abuse if a proposed settlement is approved. Points will be assigned to each abuse claim based on the severity of the abuse and its effects on each victim's life, but the records do not offer much clarity on how much actual money those points will be worth. Claims that a Catholic church employee raped them will be worth twice as much money to abuse survivors as having a priest masturbate in front of them, four times more than if a cleric touched them under their clothes and seven times more than being shown pornography, according to details from a settlement disclosure statement filed and amended recently. Coming up in October, hundreds of victims of childhood sexual abuse by clergy will get to vote to approve or reject a settlement with the US's second-oldest archdiocese, worth between $180m and $235m. Recent US bankruptcy court filings are bringing some of that process into focus as the church and proponents of the settlement are counting on 'yes' votes from at least two-thirds of the voting survivors. Many survivors say they are waiting to see what the formula means for their claim before deciding how they will vote. Attorneys representing nearly 200 survivors are already urging their clients to vote 'no', raising the real possibility that the church could be thrown out of bankruptcy with nothing to show for it after spending $50m on legal fees alone. The survivors' committee that negotiated the settlement selected Alexandria, Louisiana, personal injury lawyer Richard Arsenault as the abuse claims reviewer. He will consider the nature and impact of the abuse to award between zero and 100 points to each claim. The settlement disclosure documents detail the point system: Rape is worth 75 points, oral and digital sex is 56 points, masturbation is 37 points, taking and publishing a video of abuse receives 20 points, touching under the clothes is 18 points, and touching over the clothes is 10 points. Nude images or pornography are worth 10 points, grooming counts for five points and sexually explicit statements with no physical touching receives three points. Points can then be added for those who participated in criminal prosecution of the abuser, if they sued before the bankruptcy began and if they led efforts on behalf of other survivors. More points can be awarded based on the impact the abuse had on the victim's behavior, academic achievement, mental health, and loss of faith and family relationships. Points can be reduced if the claimant was over 18 and consented to the sexual contact. Survivors won't know how much each point is worth until Arsenault is done assessing all claims. For example, if $200m is available and Arsenault hands out 20,000 total points, each point would be worth $10,000. That would make a rape case worth $750,000 before any additions or subtractions. A maximum score of 100 points would be worth $1m – but that is only a theoretical example, and the value of each point won't be known until all claims are reviewed. The church and a committee negotiating on behalf of all eligible abuse survivors proposed their joint settlement plan in July. The church is in the process of selling affordable housing complexes known as Christopher Homes. And the church recently disclosed that it has received eight bids for the properties and will select the highest and best offer by 15 September. If it receives its high-end estimate of $55m, the total settlement would be worth $235m, so the average payout for the 660 claimants would exceed $350,000. But if two-thirds of the voting survivors vote 'no', the case would almost certainly be thrown out of bankruptcy, giving survivors a chance to pursue individual lawsuits, with the prospect of collecting millions of dollars each. John Lousteau, a survivor who filed a lawsuit in 2021 against a Catholic religious order that's not part of the bankruptcy case, recently won a $2.4m jury verdict. Although it's separate from the bankruptcy case, the Lousteau verdict is viewed by many as a benchmark for what survivors could get if they are willing to spend more years in court. The attorney who won that verdict on behalf of Lousteau, Kristi Schubert, said in a statement that the church bankruptcy's dismissal would put 'survivors right back at square one'. Her statement also brought up the possibility that the archdiocese would refile for bankruptcy and halt abuse-related litigation again before it could all be resolved individually. Schubert said payments to survivors would start being made in the spring of 2026 if the bankruptcy settles. In recent financial disclosures, the archdiocese considers anyone who filed a claim before 16 May 2025 to have filed it timely. It had previously argued that 250 claims filed after March 2021 were filed too late. That appears to rebut arguments by some of the church's creditors that as many as half of the abuse claims should be thrown out. In addition to the bloc of survivors whose attorneys are urging 'no' votes, other creditors recently joined in the criticism of the proposed settlement. A committee representing 430 commercial claims, investors who bought bond debt from the church, and even the independent US bankruptcy trustee filed their own objections to the settlement plan. Attorneys for the bondholders even accused the church of securities fraud after the archdiocese decided not to make scheduled interest payments. The bond trustees called the plan the church filed – explaining how it would pay its bond investors – 'gobbledygook.' The commercial creditors said in a filing that the proposed plan was 'neither fair nor equitable' and wasn't 'proposed in good faith'. The archdiocese is also trying to address concerns about its access to money to pay a settlement. It's counting on as much as $60m – according to a liquidation analysis – from 147 affiliated parishes, schools and charitable organizations, which plan to file quick, two-day bankruptcies to add their money to the settlement pot and protect themselves from facing their own sexual abuse lawsuits. And there is major uncertainty about the church's insurance coverage. A large portion of the claims stem from abuse that happened between 1973 and 1989, when Travelers Insurance provided coverage to the church. Travelers has not agreed to settle with the church, so the settlement plan gives victims from that timeframe the option of taking their claims to court individually. Beyond Travelers, the church is counting on $29m from insurers that did agree to settle. But $21m of that is contingent on Sparta Insurance Co making assurances in spite of financial difficulties. If Sparta can't pay, claimants abused between 1964 and 1973 would also have the option to sue separately. Ramon Antonio Vargas contributed reporting In the US, call or text the Childhelp abuse hotline on 800-422-4453 or visit their website for more resources and to report child abuse or DM for help. For adult survivors of child abuse, help is available at In the UK, the NSPCC offers support to children on 0800 1111, and adults concerned about a child on 0808 800 5000. The National Association for People Abused in Childhood (Napac) offers support for adult survivors on 0808 801 0331. In Australia, children, young adults, parents and teachers can contact the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800, or Bravehearts on 1800 272 831, and adult survivors can contact Blue Knot Foundation on 1300 657 380. Other sources of help can be found at Child Helplines International
The Sun
14 hours ago
- The Sun
Huge Good Morning Britain star offered just six months in new deal as ITV look to slash costs and save millions
GOOD Morning Britain's Richard Madeley has landed a short-term contract to remain on the ITV breakfast show — ahead of a reshuffle. The TV veteran is among stars in discussions with bosses, as some on the hosting rota will soon be let go in an ITV drive to slash costs to save millions. 1 Sources say Richard, 69, is among several to agree to short-term deals before the restructuring in January. He has signed a six-month deal, thought to start in September. An insider said: 'Richard is one of the biggest names on the show but even he hasn't been offered a long-term deal. 'He's signed for six more months and will then re- consider how the show looks. 'As things stand, almost every prominent face on the show is in talks. 'Some are going to go in the reshuffle, so it will depend on who rates well with focus groups and how much money each of them is insisting on.' The Sun on Sunday revealed in May that Richard was facing the axe — before a showdown with ITV bosses left him with a part-time deal. It is not known if the six-month deal is for fewer hours. Only lead presenter Susanna Reid, 54, is guaranteed a longer-term contract. Other regular hosts include former MP Ed Balls, TV judge Robert Rinder and journalist Kate Garraway — with guests and stand-ins including consumer expert Martin Lewis. Richard Madeley was facing GMB axe before crunch talks as another HUGE star 'is set to leave ITV' amid cuts bloodbath Executives are said to be keen to reduce the headcount in front of the camera. ITV has embarked on a restructuring as profits have plunged over the past year. The brutal shake-up will halve the workforce across ITV Studios' daytime operations. Lorraine will be cut to just 30 minutes and will air for 30 weeks a year, instead of 52. The broadcaster's recent financial results showed profits declined by 30 per cent in the first half of this year.
The Sun
19 hours ago
- The Sun
Santander to shut seven high street branches next week and it's axing key service at three more – see the full list
A MAJOR high street bank is closing more high street branches permanently next week, with three other sites set to lose their counter service. Santander will shut seven branches between Monday, 11 August, and Thursday, 17 August. This is part of a larger restructuring plan, which includes closing a total of 95 branches transforming 18 others into "counter-free" service locations. On June 30, it also reduced operating hours by half at 36 of its high street branches. So far, Santander has closed 69 branches as part of this plan. The next round of closures will begin on Monday, August 11, with three branches shutting in Brixton, Formby, and Sidcup. On Tuesday, August 12, the Edgware Road branch in London will close, followed by the Willerby branch in North Humberside on Wednesday, August 13. Finally, the Plympton branch in Devon will permanently shut its doors on Thursday, August 14. Looking ahead, Santander has also announced that its Surrey Quays branch will close for good on November 10. An additional 18 branches are scheduled to close before the end of the year, although the exact dates for these closures have not yet been announced. Meanwhile, Santander will remove counter services at three more locations next week. From Monday, August 11, counter services will no longer be available at its branches in Camberley, Orpington, and Rotherham. This means customers will no longer be able to deposit or withdraw coins or large amounts of cash at these locations. The service is popular with customers who use cash and small businesses that deposit their earnings at the end of the day. Instead of speaking to staff at a counter, customers will be directed by floor staff to use ATMs and payment machines, making most transactions digital. Santander has already removed counters from 15 of its branches this year. Customers needing to deposit or withdraw coins will have to visit another full-service Santander branch or use one of the 11,684 Post Offices. Cash withdrawals over £500 a day will also need to be made elsewhere. This is because cash withdrawals will now be handled through in-branch ATMs rather than in person at a counter. Customers can use their debit card to withdraw more cash at the Post Office, with a limit of £10,000, depending on the funds available at the branch. For withdrawals over £5,000, there is a £10 flat fee. Withdrawals over £2,000 incur a charge of 50p per £100, while amounts above £5,000 are charged at 35p per £100. A spokesperson for Santander UK, said: "As customer behaviour changes, we are ensuring that our branches remain fit for the future. "Our new combination of full-service branches, alongside Work Cafés, counter-free branches and reduced hours branches, aims to provide the right balance between digital banking and face-to-face money management and guidance. "As a business, we must move with customers and balance our investment across all the places where we interact with customers, to deliver the very best for them now and in the future." What you can do if your local bank is set to close There are still a number of ways people can access basic banking services without having to venture to another town with a branch. You can use one of the Post Office's 11,684 branches to perform basic banking tasks — but not to open new bank accounts or take personal loans and mortgages. You can find your nearest Post Office branch by visiting Meanwhile, many banks offer a mobile banking service - where they bring a bus to your area offering services you can usually get at a physical branch. Other banks use buildings such as village halls or libraries to offer mobile banking services. It's worth contacting your bank to see what mobile services they have available, and when they might next be in your area. New super ATMs are being rolled out across the UK where branch closures have left residents unable to access essential banking services. These ATMs will allow customers to withdraw funds, access their balance, change PIN numbers and deposit cash. Bank of Scotland, Barclays, Halifax, Lloyds, NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland and Ulster Bank are already signed up to allow deposits, at the super ATMs. Banking hubs are also being opened across the UK with 250 set to be available by the end of 2025. These sites typically feature a counter service operated by the Post Office as standard, enabling customers to conduct routine banking transactions conveniently. Each hub also has a private area where customers can consult with staff representing their banks for more complex matters. What services do banking hubs offer? BANKING hubs offer a range of services to bridge the gap left by the closure of local branches. Operated by the Post Office, these hubs allow customers to perform routine transactions such as deposits, withdrawals, and balance enquiries. Each hub also features private booths where customers can discuss more complex banking matters with staff from their respective banks. Staff from different banks are available on a rotational basis, ensuring that customers have access to a wide range of banking services throughout the week. Additionally, customers can receive advice and support on various financial products and services, including loans, mortgages, and savings accounts.
