Church pays abuse victims $22m
2005-10-31 22:05
Hartford - The Roman Catholic archdiocese of Hartford agreed to pay $22m to 43 people who say they were abused by priests, a lawyer representing some of those plaintiffs announced on Monday.
The settlement was the result of talks mediated by US magistrate Judge William Garfinkel in Bridgeport, attorney Jason Tremont said.
Messages left on Monday seeking comment from the archdiocese were not immediately returned.
The alleged abuse dated back as far as the 1960s and involved 14 priests or former priests, at least four of whom are now dead, Tremont said.
"By giving victims a voice, we can change the behaviour of the church and finally force the archdiocese to acknowledge responsibility for the past," Tremont said in a statement.
- AP