$1.4 Million Settlement for Priest's Sex Abuse

By Joe Harris
Courthouse News Service
November 5, 2013

http://www.courthousenews.com/2013/11/05/62657.htm

A state judge approved a $1.35 million settlement against the Kansas City-St. Joseph Diocese, in a civil lawsuit alleging priest sex abuse.

The girl, who was not identified, and her parents sued the diocese, Bishop Robert Finn and the Rev. Shawn Ratigan in 2011.

Ratigan was sentenced to 50 years in federal prison in September this year after pleading guilty to five child pornography counts.

Courthouse News first reported on the lawsuit in June 2011. The girl and her parents claimed the diocese and Finn knew about the pornographic pictures of the girl and other minor victims for almost six months before notifying police.

Jackson County Prosecutors charged Finn and the diocese in October 2011 with one misdemeanor charge of failing to report suspected child abuse.

Finn was convicted of one count of failure to report last year and was sentenced to two years of supervised probation. The charge against the diocese was dropped.

Jackson County Circuit Judge Kenneth Garrett III approved the settlement.

The diocese told the Kansas City Star the settlement has been paid by insurance.