MILWAUKEE (WI)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
By Annysa Johnson of the Journal Sentinel
The mediation between the Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee and its creditors — aimed at bringing an end to its nearly 4-year-old bankruptcy — has concluded with no agreement on how to compensate the church’s victims of childhood sexual abuse, the archdiocese said Tuesday.
The failure of the talks means the parties will return to federal court for a new round of what surely will be costly battles in a case where legal fees have already topped $13 million. It is the third time since 2010 that the church and abuse victims have emerged from mediation without an agreement.
The bankruptcy will hinge in large part now on a pending decision by the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in a related lawsuit over $60 million the archdiocese holds in a special trust for the maintenance of its cemeteries.
Peter Isely of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests voiced disappointment in the development.
“Survivors right now are really worn down. At this point, they’re struggling,” said Isely, one of the 575 men and women who filed claims in the bankruptcy alleging they were molested by clergy and others related to the church as children.
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