August 27, 2005

Church settles with more abuse accusers

SEATTLE (WA)
Seattle Post-Intelligencer

By TRACY JOHNSON
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

Seven men have reached a $2.6 million settlement with the Seattle Archdiocese and a Kansas religious order over accusations that a priest sexually abused them in the 1970s when they were altar boys.

The Rev. John Forrester was accused of molesting four of the boys while he was serving at Holy Rosary in Seattle and the other three while serving at All Saints in Puyallup, according to their attorneys.

The settlement is believed to wrap up all known allegations involving Forrester, who is dead, though the Seattle Archdiocese still faces dozens of other sexual abuse claims.

The Seattle Archdiocese has now settled 197 such claims for $19.6 million since the late 1980s, according to its attorney, Michael Patterson.

Posted by kshaw at August 27, 2005 08:39 AM