KENTUCKY
Cincinnati Enquirer
By Jim Hannah
Enquirer staff writer
BURLINGTON - A judge gave preliminary approval Tuesday to establish a fund to compensate victims of sexual abuse by priests and employees of the Covington Diocese.
But the payout to victims might never reach the record-breaking $120 million, as originally touted.
Senior Judge John Potter said he approved the plan only after attorneys for the victims and the Covington Diocese made it clear that only $40 million was immediately available to pay claims. The remaining $80 million is contingent on the diocese winning a federal lawsuit against its insurance carrier.
"This is a very important day for all of us," said Richard Lillick, 63, of Lakeside Park, who identified himself as a victim who was molested beginning in 1957. "We're seeing justice done. It's an attempt to root out a very grotesque cancer that's been eating at the diocese for years and years."