Religion Roundup
Jury Awards Ex-Altar Boy $8.7 Million in Damages
Associated Press
May 14, 2008
BURLINGTON, Vt. - A Vermont jury has awarded $8.7 million to a former altar boy who sued the Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington over sexual abuse he says he suffered at the hands of a priest.
The plaintiff, who's now 40, sued the diocese over molestation he claims he suffered from the Reverend Edward Paquette in the 1970s. His suit accused the diocese of negligent supervision for hiring Paquette despite warnings that the priest allegedly molested boys in previous assignments.
The plaintiff didn't file suit until 2005, and Paquette wasn't named as a defendant.
Church lawyers contended that the diocese's leaders at the time believed pedophilia could be cured with prayer and psychological treatment. They said they would appeal Tuesday's verdict.
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
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