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<p>SCRANTON &#8212; A program created by the Diocese of Scranton has paid out more than $2 million to survivors of sexual abuse at the hands of priests in the diocese, according to a release from the diocese released on Friday.</p><p>The Independent Survivors Compensation Program was launched by the diocese in January this year after Attorney General Josh Shapiro released an 884-page grand jury report of sexual abuse and cover-ups in Pennsylvania Catholic churches for decades.</p><p>The report included several apparent incidents in the Diocese of Scranton.</p><p>The Independent Survivors Compensation Program provides financial support to victims in order to help support their recovery. The program is open to those who submit a complaint of sexual abuse to the diocese, including those who did so either before or after the program was created.</p><p>As its name implies, the program operates independently of the diocese, and is instead administered by Kenneth Feinberg and Camille Biros, nationally recognized experts in the field of mediation.</p><p>According to Friday&#8217;s release, 49 individuals who had previously made complaints of abuse had made claims had submitted claims to the program.</p><p>Feiberg and Biros have reviewed approximately two-thirds of those claims, and, so far, have offered payments to 31 individuals. The offers total to $3,640,000. Of those, 17 have accepted the offers, leaving a payout of more than $2,155,000. The remaining 14 have neither accepted nor declined, and none have declined so far.</p><p>Additionally, 54 people previously unknown to the diocese have come forward with claims. Of those individuals, 51 will be admitted the program. Two have been rejected &#8212; one was not a minor when the alleged abuse occurred, and the second was not a victim of sexual abuse &#8212; and one is still being determined.</p><p>The claims of these 51 people will be processed after the completion of the initial 49 the diocese already knew about.</p><p>The program has no cap on how much will be paid out on claims, either for any specific individual or for the entirety of the program.</p><p>The Diocese of Scranton&#8217;s leader, Bishop Joseph C. Bambera, said he is pleased with the ongoing process.</p><p>&#8220;We know that no amount of money will be able to take away the pain that a survivor of sexual abuse has faced, but I was pleased to learn from the Administrators that, in just a few short months, the Program has been able to bring swift justice for many victims,&#8221; Bambera said in the release. &#8220;We look forward to its continued success.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Bambera </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/web1_Bambera-Joseph-1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Bambera </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Patrick Kernan</p><p>pkernan@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Patrick Kernan at 570-991-6386 or on Twitter @PatKernan</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Diocese: Over $2M paid to abuse survivors