Wilmington Parish Slapped With $33M Award in Priest Sex Abuse Case

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) -- A jury has found a Roman Catholic parish in Wilmington liable for a former priest's sexual abuse of a young boy in the 1960s and has awarded the victim $33 million.

The jury ruled Wednesday that St. Elizabeth's Parish was negligent in not preventing Francis DeLuca from sexually abusing John Vai.

A hearing to consider punitive damages against the parish and DeLuca begins on Monday.

DeLuca, now 80, was defrocked in 2008 after serving a short prison sentence for repeatedly molesting his 18-year-old grandnephew.

Vai's lawsuit is expected to be the first in a series by DeLuca's alleged victims to go to trial.