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  Dubuque Diocese to Settle 9 More Abuse Claims

By Shirley Ragsdale
Des Moines Register [Dubuque IA]
March 26, 2007

http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070326/NEWS/70326013/-1/ENT06

The Dubuque Roman Catholic Archdiocese on Tuesday will settle nine more cases of alleged child sexual abuse.

The formal announcement of the agreement will take place at 9 a.m. at the offices of Waterloo attorneys Thomas Staack and Chad Swanson. The archdiocese will hold its own press conference addressing the settlement at 10 a.m. at the archdiocesan pastoral center, 1229 Mt Loretta Ave., Dubuque, according to Monsignor James O. Barta, vicar general.

The settlement is the second round of settlements by the archdiocese. In February 2006, the archdiocese paid $5 million to 20 men and women who said they were sexually abused by priests.

Tuesday's announcement will settle claims of nine abuse survivors for a yet undisclosed amount. None of the nine had filed lawsuits against the archdiocese and the agreement was reached through private mediation, according to Chad Swanson. All nine came forward since the February settlement.

The archdiocese has, in the past, paid abuse settlements from the Dubuque Archdiocesan Protection Program, a self-insurance program, according the Archbishop Jerome Hanus.

Following the February 2006 settlement, the archdiocese posted the names of all priests, living and dead, against whom allegations of abuse had been sustained. The current allegations are against several priests included on that list, Swanson said.

Religion Editor Shirley Ragsdale can be reached at (515) 284-8208 or sragsdale@dmreg.com

 
 

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