WORCESTER (MA)
Capital News 9
12/29/2004 10:43 PM
By: Capital News 9 web staff
Five people who claim they were molested by priests have filed lawsuits against the Worcester Diocese.
Four men and a woman allege they were assaulted in the 1960s
and 1970s. Attorney Carmen Durso said a sixth suit filed against the diocese claims a layperson hired by a priest assaulted a boy.
Earlier this month, the diocese sought to dismiss or limit other sexual abuse suits. Diocese lawyers cited First Amendment protections of religion and a 1971 state law that had limited the amount of liability that charitable institutions could face.
Durso said the church should not be allowed to limit the size of the payouts because the abuse of children and shifting priests from parish to parish was not part of its charitable function.
Posted by kshaw at December 30, 2004 07:25 AM