MONTANA
NBC Montana
Adam Painter, Reporter/Meteorologist, apainter@keci.com
ST. IGNATIUS, Mont. –
A settlement has been reached between 232 plaintiffs who were sexually abused by priests and nuns.
It happened from the 1930s to the 1970s at the Ursuline Academy in St. Ignatius, which is located about 40 miles north of Missoula.
The case began in 2011, and the settlement is for $4.45 million. The agreement breaks down to less than $20,000 per victim.
We spoke with Vito de la Cruz, one of the attorneys who represented 35 percent of the plaintiffs. He said, “Child sexual abuse is often hidden, and it often lies buried for many years. For people to stand up and fight for their dignity, speak truth, and shine a light on this horrible, horrible occurrence to children is, for me, one of the most courageous things that victims can do.”
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