Santiago Archdiocese Ordered to Pay Damages

The Chilean Court of Appeals on October 18 ordered the office of the Archbishop of Santiago to pay damages amounting to $450 million pesos ($650,000) to three men, who claim they were sexually abused by Chilean priest Fernando Karadima. Karadima, now 88, was an influential priest in Santiago who was found guilty of sexual abuse by the Vatican in 2011 and sentenced to a life of penitence and prayer. On September 28, he was defrocked by Pope Francis.

Although Karadima could not be tried in Chilean courts due to the statute of limitations, three of his victims, James Hamilton, Juan Carlos Cruz, and Jose Andres Murillo, filed a suit five years ago against the Archdiocese of Santiago for covering up the abuse. They pointed specifically to Cardinals Francisco Javier Errázuriz and Ricardo Ezzati. The case was initially rejected by a lower court due to a lack of evidence but was later reviewed by the Ninth Chamber of the Court of Appeals after the discovery of new evidence. The three judges who heard the case were unanimously in favor of an appeal and ordered that damages be paid.

In response to the decision, the three men released a joint statement saying, “It’s been a very long road, full of difficulties and with a high personal and family cost. But, it’s been worth it.” The Archdiocese, in contrast, said it was considering “what steps to take.” The church will either have to pay the damages or appeal the decision, in which case the lawsuit would go to Chile’s Supreme Court.

If confirmed by the court, this will be the first damages order leveled at the Catholic Church in Chile. Legal experts are hopeful that this could create a precedent for more claims to be heard. The sentence will likely be officially confirmed in the coming weeks.