IOWA
Globe Gazette
By PAT KINNEY, For the Globe Gazette
WATERLOO — The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dubuque has agreed to pay $5 million to 20 alleged victims of sexual abuse by priests, attorneys for those individuals and the archdiocese announced today.
Several of the priests served parishes in North Iowa, including Mason City.
It is the largest average settlement per client —$250,000 — in the state to date, attorneys Chad Swanson and Tom Staack of Waterloo said. They are handling all current outstanding filed suits against the archdiocese.
Additionally, the archdiocese has agreed to pay for up to 12 therapy or counseling sessions for victims and spouses by year’s end.
The settlement was announced in separate press conferences today, by Stack and Swanson and their clients in Waterloo, and the archdiocese in Dubuque.