MINNESOTA
KSTP
[with video]
Jennie Lissarrague
An “unprecedented” settlement agreement has been reached with the Ramsey County prosecutor in the civil case against the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis.
Archdiocese officials appeared in Ramsey County District Court at 9 a.m. Friday for a hearing.
Prosecutors say the agreement in the civil case provides a framework for better oversight of the archdiocese over the next three years. Assistant Ramsey County Attorney Tom Ring says the goal is to create an environment where no child will again be abused.
Archdiocese attorney Joe Dixon says the settlement made public in court Friday must still be approved by a bankruptcy court, but both sides pledge to begin work immediately.
“This historic agreement ensures systemic change and creates a framework of accountability that increases oversight and transparency and ultimately supports a cultural shift in how the archdiocese protects children and responds to alleged abuse,” Ramsey County Attorney John Choi said.
Choi outlined several highlights of the settlement agreement during a news conference Friday:
* The archdiocese agreed to be subject to the oversight of the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office and courts for three years as they continue to transform their organization’s culture.
* The archdiocese agreed to implement important compliance standards that incorporate best practices from across the country along with new standards that don’t exist anywhere else.
* They will set forward a clear standard of response so that it will no longer be possible for leaders to say that they didn’t know about suspected child abuse.
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