ROCHESTER (NY)
Spectrum News [New York NY]
September 4, 2026
By Dana Damiani
It’s been a year since survivors of childhood sexual abuse in one of our upstate communities received some closure. More than 11,000 civil suits were filed under the Child Victims Act in New York, including hundreds against the Catholic Church. But Sept. 5 of last year, a judge ruled on the settlement for survivors in Rochester.
“I held myself together for years during that, and I listened to stories. They were horror stories,” Carol DuPré said. “You can’t get more personal than the kind of things that were brought into that courtroom.”
She’s referring to stories about sexual assault and abuse. DuPré was abused by her priest when she was 15 years old. She was a part of a six-year lawsuit as insurance companies fought against the diocese’s bankruptcy claims. Throughout the longer part of Carol’s battle, she wore black to mourn what she and thousands of others across the state long awaited.
“It’s not the money that they want. It’s the ending that they’re looking for. And he said some get it, some don’t,” she said.
But last year, Sept. 5, DuPré wore white as she, and hundreds of others, reached a settlement with the Diocese of Rochester for hundreds of thousands of dollars. DuPré received hers months after it was expected.
“I found mine by looking at my bank statement and seeing this big deposit in there, and I said, I never see that in my checking or savings account. Ever, ever. Not even close,” DuPré admitted.
Spectrum News 1 has interviewed DuPré in her home before, but now, she owns it.
“That gave me great joy because now it’s totally mine,” DuPré said with a smile.
Re-purchasing her home, and helping her daughter do the same, is how she’s spent some of her settlement money. Her joy is something that many still are waiting for.
“Well, it’s very hard for survivors to believe that after 75 years or 80 years, I’m actually going to receive validation of a financial settlement,” Mitchell Garabedian, DuPré’s attorney, said.
He represents 97 survivors in these lawsuits. Many are still awaiting their settlements.
“We’re going to continue to litigate. We’re going to continue to put pressure on the dioceses, the insurance companies, the parishes; we’re going to continue to obtain transparency,” he said.
Spectrum News 1 has reached out to the Diocese of Rochester for further updates on this process, policy maintenance and budget adjustments.
DuPré says she knows the settlement money is not a solution. It’s validation that so many still seek.
“I’ve checked up with a lot of people to see how they’re doing. And some of them are still very, very angry even though they’ve gotten them the money, the settlement; they’re still very, very angry,” she explained. “I just feel it’s all behind me now. And I hope that for the other people that were involved, the others, when we call ourselves survivors instead of victims.”
In February of this year, a bankruptcy court approved settlements for survivors involved in lawsuits against the Diocese of Syracuse. A settlement was reached a few weeks later with the Diocese of Albany.
The Diocese of Buffalo is expected to vote on the settlements this week.