Archdiocese of Milwaukee plan would pay more sexual abuse victims

MILWAUKEE (WI)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

By Annysa Johnson of the Journal Sentinel

The Archdiocese of Milwaukee would compensate more sexual abuse victims than it originally stated as part of a $21 million settlement announced earlier this month, under the reorganization plan it filed Monday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court.

Members of the bankruptcy creditors committee raised concerns about the archdiocese’s announcement, saying it had excluded 72 survivors they believed were to be compensated when they agreed to the settlement in July. Thirty-three of those would now be eligible for compensation, according to the revised plan.

“We’re much closer to where we thought it was going to be,” said Charles Linneman, who chairs the creditors committee, which is made up of abuse victims but represents all creditors in the case.

“The archdiocese has worked with us in the last two weeks, and a lot more claims have moved to a higher class,” he said. “And there’s more to come that we are still working on.”

Jerry Topczewski, chief of staff for Archbishop Jerome Listecki, said in an email that the church is continuing to work with survivors’ attorneys to address questions regarding the treatment of their claims “and will continue to do so until the plan is confirmed.”

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