TOLEDO, Ohio — Following the conviction of a former northwest Ohio priest in November 2023, the Toledo Catholic Diocese has agreed to pay out over $1 million to three sexual abuse victims.
Michael Zacharias was convicted on Nov. 17, 2023 in federal court on five charges of sex trafficking: one count of sex trafficking of a minor; two counts of sex trafficking of a minor by force, fraud and coercion; and two counts of sex trafficking of an adult by force, fraud or coercion.
"It takes seconds to abuse a child and it takes a lifetime to overcome it," said Claudia Vercellotti, who leads the Ohio chapter of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP).
Following the criminal court proceedings, the victims' attorney, Konrad Kircher with Kircher Law, LLC, urged the Diocese to compensate with the victims.
They did so, in a way rarely seen before.
"The Diocese agreed to set up what is known as an 'Independent Healing and Reconciliation Program,'" said Kircher.
It's a program that offers an independent process for eligible claimants of reparations, avoiding a traditional lawsuit.
According to Kircher, the Diocese contracted an attorney who helped with a similar program in Phoenix, Arizona. From there, two judges, one from Colorado and the other from New Mexico, were appointed who evaluated information submitted by both parties and determined a recommended compensation.
Kircher says the process gave victims the chance to make their own decision.
"The process was that it's non-binding, so my clients could go through the process, get a recommended award, and then decide to reject it or they could accept the recommendation," explained Kircher.
Both the Diocese and the victims agreed to the compensation, which totaled over $1 million.
"This really was a good process for these three victims," said Kircher.
But advocates like Vercellotti say this process was the easy way out for the Diocese.
"Clearly, it benefitted the Toledo Catholic Diocese first and foremost to settle this matter quietly," said Vercellotti.
Vercellotti told WTOL the money is a start, but there's more to be done.
"I'm grateful that the victims don't have to be traumatized again," said Vercellotti. "I sat in court and watched them testify and their families. But that doesn't absolve or negate the Toledo Catholic Diocese' duty to reach out to potential victims and warn communities. It just doesn't."
WTOL 11 reached out to the Diocese for comment. They responded with the following statement:
"The Diocese of Toledo will not comment on any outreach work or activities related to any abuse victims as their privacy and healing is of the utmost priority to us."
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