Church has 1 milion euro fund ready for sex abuse victims

"Sex abuse no longer insured"

By Joep Dohmen

Aegon insurance company has put aside a million euros to pay for claims by Dutch victims of sexual abuse suffered at the hands of Catholic clerics.

Aegon and the archdiocese of Utrecht, which acted on behalf of the Roman Catholic church in the Netherlands, came to this agreement in 2006, an investigation by NRC Handelsblad and Radio Netherlands Worldwide has shown. If damages exceed a million euros, the Church will have to pay for them itself.

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Aegon broke with church after 45 years

The deal ended a long-lasting dispute regarding the coverage offered by the church�s liability insurance policy with Aegon. The Church felt it could claim any damages paid to victims of sexual abuse by priests as bodily damage incurred by them. Aegon refused, saying it did not want to �put a premium on the abuse of minors�.

The conflict was set off when the church tried to claim 43,378 euros in damages paid to a girl who had been sexually abused by a priest. Aegon refused and severed all ties with the church, ending a 45-year relationship. The church then sued its former insurer. According to Aegon, �the legal dispute ended in a compromise agreed upon in 2006�. The church dropped its case and Aegon agreed to pay one million euros in damages.

A spokesperson for the archdiocese refused to comment, saying that �we have agreed with Aegon we would not speak out on this matter and want to uphold that agreement�.

�We both agreed victims should not suffer because of our dispute,� an Aegon spokesperson said. �That is why we have reserved a million euros for this purpose.�

The money is meant to pay for claims emanating from abuse that took place before Aegon terminated the church�s insurance policy in 2000. According to the insurer, no claims have been filed yet. Victims seeking damages should file them with the Catholic church, the spokesperson said.

�Once a judge has determined the claim is justified, or if the church decides to take responsibility, we will pay. The total amount for all claims has been capped at one million euros. Anything over that amount will be paid by the church.�

Sex abuse no longer insured

Recent publications in NRC Handelsblad and other publications concerning the abuse that took place at boarding schools, abbeys and seminary schools have led to dozens of new reports and complaints. Lawyers expect victims will file for damages with the Church. In recent weeks, the Roman Catholic church has received some 200 reports from people who allegedly suffered sexual abuse in the past.

The church will have to pay from its own coffers for any claims emanating from abuse that took place after 2000. The church�s new insurance policy with insurance company Nationale Nederlanden does not cover sexual abuse. In 2000, a Dutch organisation of insurers advised its members to adjust their policies accordingly. Damages emanating from �sexual or sexually charged behaviour of any nature� have since been exempted from coverage.

http://www.nrc.nl/international/artic...se_victims