ORLANDO (FL)
Local6.com
POSTED: 4:45 pm EDT July 11, 2005
UPDATED: 5:19 pm EDT July 11, 2005
ORLANDO, Fla. -- The Diocese of Orlando and the Diocese of St. Augustine have been ordered to pay one of the largest settlements in state history in connection with several clergy sexual abuse cases, according to Local 6 News.
The $1.5 million settlement is on behalf of three victims who accused Vernon Uhran and Herbert Reason of sexually abusing them when they were children more than 30 years ago, Local 6 News reported.
Both Uhran and Herbert Reason were priests at Saint Mary Magdalen Catholic Church in Altamonte Springs, Fla., where some of the abuse allegedly occurred, Local 6 News reported.
Reason served at the church from 1959 to 1965 then moved to Diocese of St. Petersburg. He died in 1984.
Church officials said they have reason to believe that information the victims provided is true, according to the Local 6 News report.
"There was a betrayal of trust and we believe this betrayal of trust should be helped for the victims as much as possible," Orlando Diocese spokeswoman Carol Brinati.
Posted by kshaw at July 11, 2005 05:10 PM