RESPONSE TO ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP OF SAN DIEGO’S
BANKRUPTCY PLAN FOR COMPENSATING SEXUAL ABUSE VICTIMS

Yesterday, Bishop Robert Brom of the San Diego Catholic Diocese, filed a plan for reorganization in the pending bankruptcy proceedings. Once again Bishop Robert Brom and his lawyers are attempting to manipulate the legal system to continue the cover up of the sexual abuse scandal within the San Diego Catholic Diocese, and refuse to accept responsibility for the severe harm done to victims.

In his proposed plan for compensating victims, Bishop Brom speaks of a desire to “fairly” compensate “all” victims while preserving the central “mission” of the diocese. Yet his plan does the exact opposite. In the disclosure statement required to be submitted with the plan Bishop Brom has threatened once again that he will attempt to defeat the will of the Legislature and the People of California by challenging the constitutionality of their decision to allow claims of people who were ashamed, afraid, embarrassed or had repressed the horrible memories of their childhood sexual abuse to have a one year opportunity to come forward and seek civil justice for what happened to them. Bishop Brom has repeatedly attempted to have these cases thrown out of court by claiming that the revival of these claims was unconstitutional, and has been told by both California Courts and the Federal District Court, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal that this revival is constitutional.

Bishop Brom has said that he wants to fairly compensate “all” victims, yet he submits a plan for compensation of victims before we know how many victims will come forward through the bankruptcy process. There is no requirement that the plan be filed now, and in fact there are many issues that need to be resolved such as how many claims there will be, what property belongs to the debtor, (The Roman Catholic Bishop, a corporation sole) as a matter of civil law, not cannon law, what insurance is available, and more. The only logical reason that this plan was filed was for the public relations purpose of trying to make it appear that the diocese cannot afford to pay the same compensation that juries and judges have found to be fair throughout the state of California.

Once again Bishop Brom’s words ring hollow. His deeds speak for themselves.