SACRAMENTO (CA)
Sacramento Bee
By Jennifer Garza -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Monday, March 14, 2005
Lawyers for the Catholic Diocese of Sacramento and attorneys representing 33 people who've claimed clergy sexual abuse begin court-ordered mediation today.
Citing a significant gap in insurance coverage, diocesan officials say some of the money to pay for the settlements might have to come from other programs.
"We're facing potentially serious financial challenges, and the money is going to have to come from somewhere," said Jim Sweeney, counsel for the diocese.
Sweeney said most of the claims stem from events that allegedly occurred more than 30 years ago and that diocesan officials have had to reconstruct insurance coverage that is decades old.
They have been unable to identify all of the insurance in effect at that time, and one of the insurance carriers has gone bankrupt.
Posted by kshaw at March 14, 2005 06:49 AM