Archdiocese of Miami settled a lawsuit accusing a priest of drugging and raping a boy

[Ian David]

Broward sex-abuse suit against priest is settled
The Archdiocese of Miami settled a lawsuit accusing a priest of drugging and raping a boy.

BY AMY SHERMAN
[email protected]

The Archdiocese of Miami has settled a lawsuit filed by a 21-year-old Broward man who charged that former priest Neil Doherty drugged and raped him in the 1990s.

The amount of the settlement was not revealed.

The civil suit prompted Broward prosecutors to file criminal charges against the now 64-year-old former priest from St. Vincent Catholic Church in Margate. The criminal case has not yet gone to trial.

This week, plaintiff's attorney Jeffrey Herman also settled another Broward case against the archdiocese alleging abuse by Doherty. Herman said the terms of both settlements were confidential.

Herman's previous sexual -abuse cases involving priests mostly settled for between $75,000 and $500,000. But this one was a stronger case that may have been settled for more since Herman could show that the archdiocese knew about previous allegations Doherty had abused boys. Another boost to the case: the allegations were more recent than some other sexual-abuse cases in which plaintiffs were accusing priests of abusing them decades ago.

Although several other priests in the archdiocese have been named in suits, Doherty has likely cost the most.

Herman has filed nine suits involving Doherty; five have been settled.

More:
http://www.miamiherald.com/467/story/153626.html

[Vexatious Ape]

1. The entire Catholic Church should be under investigation.

But I won't hold my breath waiting for that to happen.