Survivor Compensation Program Protocol 

On February 12, 2019, the Diocese of Harrisburg announced the establishment of a Survivor Compensation Program. This program seeks to provide compensation to victim-survivors of abuse by priests, deacons, or seminarians of the Diocese of Harrisburg, or priests, deacons, or religious brothers from other religious orders or dioceses who had faculties in the Diocese of Harrisburg at the time of the sexual abuse.

The deadline to file a completed Program Questionnaire to administrators of the Diocese of Harrisburg Survivor Compensation Program is May 13, 2019.

If you are a victim or survivor of sexual abuse by clergy of the Diocese of Harrisburg and it would help you try to heal, then you should consider entering into this Compensation Program. It is advisable to begin your application as soon as possible.

If you wish to participate in the Diocese of Harrisburg’s Compensation Program, this firm can assist you in assembling the necessary papers and application for compensation. We have successfully represented clergy sexual abuse victims and survivors in obtaining compensation from a number of dioceses and religious orders throughout the United States.

In order to participate in the Diocese of Harrisburg’s Survivor Compensation Program, you must complete and submit a Program Questionnaire to administrators of the program, post-marked by May 13, 2019.

If you submit a Program Questionnaire, you are under no obligation to accept the financial offer of settlement by the Diocese of Harrisburg. You will not be required to waive any future rights to bring a claim or action unless you choose to accept the settlement offer.

It is important that your claim be properly prepared before being evaluated by the Administrators of the Survivor Compensation Program. For example, with regard to corroboration, historical records, such as medical records and therapy records, should be collected and reviewed, oral and written communications concerning the clergy sexual abuse should be examined and law enforcement records should be obtained and reviewed. The Administrators may search for facts and circumstances of the claim of clergy sexual abuse which demonstrate that the allegations are credible and that the clergy sexual abuse victim or survivor provides sufficient corroboration and proof to justify the payment of compensation.

The lack of sufficient corroboration and proof of the allegations of clergy sexual abuse may be taken into account by the Administrators in determining the credibility of the claim and eligibility for compensation. You are allowed to supplement your pending claim with additional information.

If you accept the settlement offer, the Diocese of Harrisburg will require you to sign a standard release of claims waiving all future legal rights to bring a claim or an action against the Diocese of Harrisburg.

The Administrators report that they expect to make settlement offers to eligible claimants by June 28, 2019.

Please note that the above statement is just a brief discussion of the Diocese of Harrisburg Survivor Compensation Program and is no way exhaustive in the description of the Survivor Compensation Program.