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	Lawyers to Gauge Number of Claimants against Diocese By Sheryl Kornman Tucson Citizen [Tucson AZ] April 20, 2005 How many altar boys have served in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson the past 40 years? To estimate how many young people may have been sexually abused by priests here, lawyers for the diocese yesterday were told to determine how many young people may have come into contact with diocese priests. "We want to know how many altar boys there were, how many youths who met at parishes through Boy Scouts and other youth groups," said A. Bates Butler III, whose job in the diocese's bankruptcy case is to estimate the number of sex abuse claims that could be filed. "We are concerned there are more people out there that have not come forward," he said. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge James Marlar said he wants lawyers to come up with an estimated number of claimants - a key to a settlement - in two to three weeks. The diocese sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in September after paying an estimated $20 million to at least 10 victims of sexual abuse. The diocese was facing an additional 33 sex abuse lawsuits seeking more than $100 million. Those with credible claims of abuse against the diocese will share in a settlement fund to satisfy all present and future claims of sexual abuse by priests. Susan Boswell, the diocese's lead attorney in the bankruptcy case, said yesterday that an estimated 43 claims of sex abuse, of the 102 filed by the court's April 15 deadline, are likely credible. Some new claims name one or more priests who have not been identified publicly by the diocese. It's likely that three priests who have not been identified previously as sex abusers by the diocese will be named, she said. The diocese has said 1,222 priests have served in the diocese since 1950, and the diocese now has 350,000 parishioners. Records of the priests are not enough, said Butler and attorney Charles Arnold, guardian ad litem representing unknown minors who were abused. "It's more probable than not," Butler said, that there are at least 100 more possible unknown victims of 10 of the 28 priests the diocese named in 2000 as having credible allegations of sexual abuse against them. "The universe of claims is greater than that which the diocese has identified," Arnold said. Boswell said the diocese is cooperating with the attorneys by turning over its records of complaints against priests. But the attorneys for unknown future claimants said that names of victims are blacked out on the records. And since none of the allegations before 2000 was reported by the diocese to law enforcement agencies, the lawyers said, the records' usefulness is limited. Butler and Arnold said pedophile priests fit the category of "preferential offenders" who chose prepubescent boys as victims and groomed them to accept their sexual overtures. The two said psychologists have told them the priests likely had multiple sex partners during the same period. The judge warned that if all parties can't agree on a settlement plan, the future of the diocese will be in danger. "People file suits," he said. "Every asset will be sold, so no more diocese in southern Arizona. It would evaporate."
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