June 15, 2005

Judge OKs settlement for Yumans in clergy sexual abuse cases

ARIZONA
Yuma Sun

Jun 15, 2005

TUCSON — A judge on Tuesday approved settlement claims that will pay out a minimum of $600,000 to each of three Yuma brothers who said they were victims of clergy sex abuse.

In all, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge James Marlar approved 30 settlement claims for sex abuse victims and their relatives, paving the way for approval of a reorganization plan in the Catholic Diocese of Tucson’s bankruptcy case.

The claims stem from lawsuits that drove the diocese to seek Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization protection.

Among the cases was one involving the three Yuma brothers who say they were victimized as minors. A former Arizona Supreme Court chief justice described that case as ‘‘a barnburner.’’

The brothers, two of whom are still teenagers, say they were repeatedly sexually abused, as recently as 2002, by the Rev. Juan Guillen. Guillen, formerly of Immaculate Conception Church, is serving a 10-year sentence after pleading guilty to attempted child molestation.

Posted by kshaw at June 15, 2005 11:24 AM