The alleged victim in the clergy sex abuse trial wrapping up at Chittenden Superior Court asked the jury today to consider as much as $14 million in damages."They thought they could get away with it," attorney John Evers said in a closing argument this morning, referring to the state's Roman Catholic diocese.
Evers and Jerome ONeill represent a 40-year-old Waitsfield man who claims he was molested by the Rev. Edward Paquette molested an altar boy in the 1970s at Christ the King Church in Burlington.
The plaintiff was 9 years old when the alleged abuse began.
Evers said he was seeking between $886,000 and $2.3 million in compensatory damages and between $6 million and $12 million in punitive damages.
"The coverup was worse than the decision to bring Father Paquette here in the first place," Evers said.
Attorney Tom McCormick told the jury the alleged victims testimony indicated he had not suffered that much and that the diocese had relied on the advise of psychologists in retaining Paquette as a priest after getting reports he had molested other boys.
He said Evers request for up to $14 million was "absurd" and suggested a possible compensatory damage award of between $5,000 and $15,000. He said punitive damages were not warranted.
The jury was expected to get the case sometime around 3 p.m. and then begin deliberations on a verdict.
The trial lasted seven days. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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(Source: BFP.com)