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	S.C. Judge Orders Church Sex Abuse Probe Associated Press, carried in KTAR [South Carolina] March 9, 2007 http://ktar.com/?nid=45&sid=412128 St. George, S.C. (AP) — A judge ordered an investigation Friday into whether there are unreported cases of sexual abuse involving the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston. Circuit Judge Diane Schafer Goodstein said she would not approve a plan to set aside up to $12 million to settle abuse claims without the review. Goodstein made her decision after an attorney for abuse victims claimed the church may have kept some cases secret. Peter Shahid, a lawyer for the diocese, said an investigation had already been done, but the church would cooperate with any new inquiry. Since the class-action settlement was announced in January, 53 people have come forward to participate, plaintiffs' attorney Larry Richter said. About 60 percent of them claim abuse and the rest are victims' parents or spouses. The proposed settlement would give victims anywhere from $10,000 to $200,000. Spouses and parents would receive $20,000.
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