Montana Catholic diocese seeks to pay abuse victims $16.4 million

MONTANA
Reuters

BY LAURA ZUCKERMAN
Tue Nov 18, 2014

(Reuters) – A Montana Roman Catholic diocese has asked a judge to approve a bankruptcy reorganization plan that includes a $16.4 million settlement for hundreds of adults claiming childhood sexual abuse by clergy and lay workers, attorneys said on Tuesday.

The Helena diocese, serving some 44,500 Catholics in 57 parishes and 38 missions in western Montana, including the state capital, is the 11th U.S. diocese to file for Chapter 11 protection since 2004 due to liabilities stemming from abuse claims.

Under the agreement, which must be approved by a U.S. bankruptcy court, the church would contribute $2 million and its insurance carriers $14.4 million to settle claims brought by 362 people who filed two lawsuits against the diocese in 2011, said Dan Fasy, an attorney with one of four firms representing the plaintiffs.

The settlement was reached after years of negotiated mediation between the church and victims of childhood sexual abuse.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.