Dividing the abuse money

The LAT reports this morning that some abuse victims are getting more money than others and that lawyers may get up to 45 percent of the settlement plus expenses. One lawyer described the making of videos which were used to sell her clients' cases. It sounds as if more than half the $660 million will go to lawyers and expenses.

According to the LAT, victims have mixed views about the money. Some reportedly believe the money appropriately punishes the church; others have different views. But all seemed willing to take it. One woman, a victim of rape by a priest, claimed she was "forced" to accept just $25,000 in a previous settlement. Perhaps that word was the LAT's but its use could be telling if the victim chose it. Use of "forced" could raise the question whether the victim knows the meaning of the word or whether she uses the word casually without considering its true meaning.