Diocese of Duluth reaches $40 million settlement with sex abuse victims

DULUTH (MN)
Star Tribune

May 1, 2019

By Dan Browning

The Diocese of Duluth and its insurers have agreed to a $40 million settlement with 125 plaintiffs who said they were sexually abused as children by clergy and others in the diocese.

As part of the agreement, the diocese has agreed to relinquish secret files on 37 priests who it had determined were credibly accused of abuse. It also must develop procedures to ensure that children will be protected from such abuse going forward.

The settlement is pending approval from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court; the Diocese filed for protection from its creditors in December 2015. Under the agreement, the diocese must pay $10 million and the balance will be paid by its insurers.

The Diocese of Duluth’s bankruptcy claim is similar to one filed by the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, which announced its intentions in November.

The Diocese of Winona-Rochester set a deadline of April 8 for those wishing to file a claim to do so. As of last November, a total of 121 claims had been filed against the diocese, naming 17 priests. Many of them were filed as a result of the state’s Child Victims Act, which lifted the statute of limitations for victims of child sexual abuse for three years.

Settlement negotiations are ongoing.

Jeff Anderson, who represents 120 of the claimants against the Diocese of Duluth, called the settlement “vindication and validation” for clergy sex abuse victims who he said held the Diocese and Catholic bishops accountable financially and by demanding disclosure of what was known by top Diocesan officials.

“We applaud the courage and patience of the survivors, who have handled this difficult process with grace and strength. They have accomplished so much for the protection of children and for themselves,” Anderson said. He said the settlement may bring some comfort to other survivors of clergy abuse, knowing that they were not alone.

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