A JURY in Delaware has awarded a record $30 million in compensatory damages to a man who claimed he was sexually abused by a priest when he was a boy in the 1960s.
One church abuse expert says it is by far the largest single verdict in a clergy sex abuse case.
Today’s judgment is also unique because the jury found that the St Elizabeth’s parish in Wilmington is partly responsible for the abuse and must pay $3 million of the compensatory damages.
Deliberations on punitive damages are set to begin on Monday.
A judge previously found that Francis DeLuca was liable for the abuse of John Vai.
The 80-year-old was defrocked in 2008 after serving 60 days in a New York jail for repeatedly molesting his 18-year-old grandnephew.
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