November 25, 2009
Fairbanks Diocese to Pay Millions In Sex Abuse Settlement
Alaska victims of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and volunteers with the Fairbanks diocese could finally receive payments early next year for the damage done. A $9.8 million settlement announced in U.S. Bankruptcy Court Tuesday amounts to a big step toward resolving hundreds of claims against the church for abuse, some of it dating back decades, said a lawyer for the victims. And the size of the fund could grow considerably, depending on the results of efforts to extract up to $100 million from two insurance carriers that are not part of the settlement, said Ken Roosa, an Anchorage attorney who represents 240 victims trying to collect through the bankruptcy case. The Catholic Bishop of Northern Alaska, the formal name for the diocese, turned to bankruptcy in March 2008 after efforts to settle sexual abuse lawsuits failed.Click Here For The Full Story......