MILWAUKEE (WI)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Jerry Topczewski of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee said this week that Catholic Church officials “remain hopeful a consensual resolution will ultimately be reached” in the dispute between the archdiocese and sexual abuse victims despite the failure of court-ordered mediation. We share that hope if the result serves the twin causes of truth and fair compensation for victims.
As it is, with both sides returning to bankruptcy court to continue what one observer has described as a scorched earth battle, resolution of the issues will only be further delayed. That does not seem to do anyone any good, least of all victims who have waited years for justice.
Nothing against lawyers or the work they have done so far, but with attorney fees already beyond $7 million and rising, and the archdiocese on the hook for those, it seems to us that reaching a just settlement would best serve both the archdiocese and victims.
Because of court orders, no one can say why the talks broke down, and those outside the fight don’t really know what’s in the claims and court documents. So it’s difficult to judge whether victims’ attorneys are pushing for too much, perhaps including frivolous claims in an effort to get even more money, or whether the church is dragging its feet to keep its secrets intact, perhaps to make this bankruptcy proceeding so difficult that victims elsewhere won’t try that venue.
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