May 25, 2005

Catholic diocese settles with victims of sexual abuse

CANADA
Canada NewsWire Group

CORNER BROOK, NL, May 25 /CNW/ - Ernst & Young Inc., in its capacity as
Trustee in the Proposal of the Roman Catholic Episcopal Corporation of
St. George's, today announced that the creditors of the Corporation voted
overwhelmingly in favour of the Corporation's Proposal.
The Most Rev. Douglas Crosby, OMI, Bishop of St. George's Diocese,
expressed his gratitude that the victims of sexual abuse along with other
creditors of the Corporation, the civil arm of the diocese, voted to accept
the Corporation's proposal.
"Today's vote confirms our hope that the victims would see our proposal
as fair and just," said Bishop Crosby. "I've acknowledged from the outset that
while no amount of money can compensate these young men for the harm that was
done to them and their families, it was our moral and legal obligation to
offer them everything we could possibly manage."
In 1990 Kevin Bennett, then a priest of the Diocese of St. George's, was
sentenced for the sexual abuse of 36 young men over a period of almost 20
years and served four years in prison. Since that time a number of victims
launched civil suits at a total claimed value in excess of $50 million. In
March 2004 the Supreme Court of Canada found the Corporation directly and
vicariously liable.

Posted by kshaw at May 25, 2005 11:47 AM