PORTLAND (ME)
News Center Maine [Portland, ME]
September 2, 2026
By Pearl Small
About a dozen survivors are expected to discuss their settlements and the Diocese of Portland’s response to clergy sexual abuse claims.
Survivors who said they were sexually abused as children by Catholic priests in Maine are expected to speak publicly Wednesday following settlements with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland.
About a dozen survivors are scheduled to appear at a news conference alongside attorneys Jessica Arbour of Horowitz Law and Michael Bigos of Bigos Law. The survivors are expected to discuss their experiences, the outcomes of their cases and the diocese’s response to their claims.
NEWS CENTER Maine plans to stream the news conference live in this story. It’s scheduled to begin at 10 a.m.
Other survivors have recently spoken publicly about reaching settlements with the diocese, including Keith Amato, who told NEWS CENTER Maine that his decision to settle was about finding closure rather than money.
RELATED: Survivors of clergy abuse settle with Portland diocese, seek closure and compensation
The events follow Bishop James Ruggieri’s announcement that the diocese had resolved more than 100 claims of childhood sexual abuse filed since 2021.
The claims came after Maine lawmakers passed a law allowing previously expired childhood sexual abuse claims to be brought in civil court. The Diocese of Portland challenged the law, and in 2025, the Maine Supreme Judicial Court ruled that previously expired claims could not be revived.
Other survivors have recently spoken publicly about reaching settlements with the diocese, including Keith Amato, who told NEWS CENTER Maine that his decision to settle was about finding closure rather than money.
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