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	Catholic Church Facing £400k Bill Hull Daily Mail February 11, 2010 http://www.thisishullandeastriding.co.uk/news/Catholic-Church-facing-163-400k/article-1823059-detail/article.html UNITED KINGDOM -- The Roman Catholic Church is facing a legal bill of £400,000 after a judge ruled in favour of victims of alleged systematic abuse at a former children's home. The High Court has ruled that the Middlesbrough Diocese is responsible for the legal costs of about 150 former residents of St William's Children's Home in Market Weighton. It has also ruled that the Church will be responsible for the legal costs of the De La Salle Brothers who were responsible for the running of the home. The alleged victims sued both the diocese and the Brothers, a catholic order of lay teachers, because the complex management history of the home. A catalogue of physical and sexual abuse is alleged to have taken place at the home between 1960 and 1992. At a November hearing it was decided that the diocese only was responsible and not the De La Salle Brothers. The alleged victims would normally be responsible for paying towards the legal costs of the De La Salles' bill, but the court has ruled they acted reasonably in suing both parties. Judge Hawkesworth QC has made an interim order that the diocese should pay £400,000 towards the Brothers' costs, which amount to £862,000. The case has been running since 2004 and the claimants costs are already around £2m. The diocese is appealing the decision that it is responsible. If it is ultimately held responsible, it is estimated that the full costs and compensation bill could amount to £8m. A decision on the appeal is unlikely before the end of the year. One brother has been jailed for abuse carried out at the home. Brother James Carragher was sentenced to 14 years in prison after being convicted of abusing boys at the home between 1968 and 1992. About 2,000 children went to the school over a 30 year period.
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