August 10, 2005

Church settles abuse lawsuit

OAKLAND (CA)
The Argus

By Jonathan Jones, STAFF WRITER

Less than three months after the Diocese of Oakland found "insufficient evidence" to support allegations of sexual abuse against a former Union City priest, the diocese agreed to pay $600,000 to the plaintiff who accused him, according to attorneys involved in the case.

The Diocese of Oakland agreed to settle the case against the Rev. George Crespin last week as part of a $56.4 million "global settlement" with victims of childhood sexual abuse by priests.

Despite the settlement, church officials said this week that the 69-year-old Crespin, who is now in retirement, is permitted to celebrate Mass and hear confessions at St. Joseph the Worker Church in Berkeley, where he has lived and worked for 24 years.

"The decision was made when the person decided to go ahead and sue after the diocese and a third party determined there was insufficient evidence to remove Father Crespin," said the Rev. Mark Wiesner, a diocese spokesman. "The bishop was interested in reaching a global settlement. ... It wasimportant to settle these cases for the victims."

Posted by kshaw at August 10, 2005 05:26 AM