The Roman Catholic Church in New York and more than 1,300 plaintiffs said they had agreed to begin mediation to resolve allegations of child sexual abuse by clergy. The process could be one of the largest settlements in the history of the U.S. Catholic Church.
Similar cases have already resulted in billions of dollars in settlements across the country, as priests and church officials have been accused of sexually abusing children for decades while church leaders have protected them.
The civil trial, which was scheduled to begin next year, prompted the New York diocese to agree to discuss possible compensation in the next two months, said attorney Jeff Anderson, who represents about 300 of the 1,311 plaintiffs. Their claims span from 1952 to 2020.
Anderson said any compensation must be accompanied by full disclosure, as well as new measures to prevent such abuses in the future.
In announcing the start of mediation, the Diocese of New York acknowledged the “dark pages” of its past. It stressed its aim to reach a comprehensive agreement that will provide victims with “the maximum possible financial compensation.”
