PORTLAND (ME)
Boston.com
August 16, 2005
PORTLAND, Maine --Maine's Roman Catholic diocese has agreed to settle a lawsuit by a Sidney man who claimed he was abused by a priest during a seven-year period beginning at age 13, the two sides announced Tuesday.
The terms of the settlement with Michael Fortin, 34, were not made public and neither Fortin's lawyers nor a spokeswoman for the Diocese of Portland would elaborate.
In a brief written statement, Fortin and Bishop Richard Malone said confidentiality was neither required by the diocese nor requested by Fortin.
However, it added, "... both parties have agreed that it is in their interests to put this matter behind them, and both sides, therefore, have agreed to let this statement stand without further elaboration as their only public comment on this matter."
The Catholic reform group Voice of the Faithful praised the diocese for coming forward to reach a settlement, calling it a welcome change from legal tactics of the past that added to the suffering of innocent victims and abuse survivors.