Catholic Church to Triple Compensation Paid to Man Who Was Abused by J. R. R. Tolkien’s Priest Son
Catholic priest John Tolkien
A person who was abused by a Catholic priest, who was the son of famed author J.R.R. Tolkien, will be getting triple the compensation from the Catholic Church, according to a report by The Telegraph.
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Birmingham opted to reopen previous settlements, a year after being criticized by the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse for their handling of cases.
The unnamed victim was originally awarded £5,000 (approximately $6,300). This amount will be tripled to approximately $19,000.
Richard Scorer, lawyer at Slater and Gordon, has 25 years of experience with abuse cases involving the Catholic Church and reparations for victims.
Scorer told the Telegraph on Sunday that the decision to triple the compensation was the first time in his experience that an archdiocese had agreed to increase the reparation after a settlement was reached.
“It is unprecedented,” he explained. “They have held their hands up and recognized their conduct was wrong. It may well pave the way for other survivors to seek further compensation.”
There are approximately 750 survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests in England and Wales who have been compensated; if their settlements are all tripled, the total would be around £22 million (or about $27.8 million), according to the Telegraph.
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