New Jersey Catholic Diocese Agrees To $180 Million Settlement Of Clergy Sexual Abuse Allegations

TRENTON, N.J. — A New Jersey Catholic diocese this week agreed to a $180 cardinal colony to resoluteness allegations of clergy intersexual abuse, a fig acold exceeding agreements successful immoderate ample dioceses but still dwarfed by different monolithic settlements.

Bishop Joseph Williams of nan Diocese of Camden, covering confederate New Jersey and its Philadelphia suburbs, announced nan colony Tuesday successful a letter.

“For nan survivors of South Jersey, this time is agelong overdue and represents a milestone successful their travel toward restored justness and nan treatment and nickname they person agelong sought and deserve,” Williams said.

Mark Crawford, authorities head of nan Survivors Network for those Abused by Priests, said successful a telephone question and reply Wednesday that nan colony was agelong overdue but he was gladsome nan ordeal was coming to an end. He praised nan bishop for listening to survivors and for pledging transparency, contrasting him pinch his predecessor, who fought a ineligible conflict complete a authorities investigation into alleged clergy abuse.

“This colony and this bishop person acted very differently,” Crawford said. “I dream it sends a connection that this is possible, that this is right.”

Greg Gianforcaro, 1 of nan attorneys representing victims suing nan diocese, credited survivors’ persistence successful reaching nan agreement. The diocese has said location astir 300 survivors of maltreatment raising claims.

“It’s been an highly agelong and arduous battle,” he said successful a telephone interview.

It’s nan latest statement successful a ungraded group disconnected much than 2 decades agone erstwhile nan standard of nan maltreatment and nan church’s effort to hide it came to ray successful Boston. The New Jersey colony statement is much than nan astir $80 cardinal settlements successful Boston and Philadelphia, though settlements successful California ranged overmuch higher. In 2024, nan Los Angeles Archdiocese agreed to an $880 cardinal payment.

The Camden colony comes little than a twelvemonth aft nan diocese withdrew its objection to nan authorities of New Jersey’s expansive assemblage investigation into decades of alleged intersexual maltreatment of children by religious. The authorities Supreme Court has since ruled nan state’s investigation could move ahead.

The Camden diocese, for illustration others nationwide, revenge for bankruptcy amid a torrent of lawsuits aft nan statute of limitations was relaxed.

In 2022, nan diocese agreed to salary $87.5 cardinal to settee allegations involving clergy activity maltreatment against immoderate 300 accusers, 1 of nan largest rate settlements involving nan Catholic religion successful nan U.S. The latest colony announcement includes these funds, according to victims’ attorneys.

The diocese of Camden covers six confederate New Jersey counties extracurricular Philadelphia. The statement must still beryllium approved by a bankruptcy court.

Catalini writes for nan Associated Press.