Sex crime claims against clergy rises

March 13, 10:32 AMAtheism ExaminerTrina Hoaks

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According to the Associated Press, claims of molestation by clergy members of Roman Catholic dioceses rose in 2008. There were 803 reported claims. That is up from 691 claims made in 2007.

Most of the accusers who have come forward are adult males who said the were sexually abused when they were children, more than half said they were between 10 and 14 years old at the time. The report said that "...more than 80 percent of the clergy accused in 2008 are dead, missing or already out of public ministry or the priesthood altogether." It was also noted that 40 percent of the newly reported cases named clergy that had not been previously accused.

Although less was paid out in settlements and lawyers' fees last year, the total still came to over $436 million. According to the report, the total spent for such payouts now equals $2.6 billion since 1950.

Your tithe dollars hard at work.