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	Agreement Reached in Child Sexual Abuse Case against Diocese of Charleston The Post and Courier [Charleston SC] January 26, 2007 http://www.charleston.net/assets/webPages/departmental/news/Stories.aspx?section=localnews&tableId=127982&pubDate=1/26/2007 This is a joint statement released today by the Diocese of Charleston and the attorneys for the claimants. The Diocese of Charleston and Richter & Haller, Attorneys and Counselors at Law, are pleased to announce they have reached an agreement related to the resolution of child sexual abuse cases. A judge has signed the order giving preliminary approval to this agreement. A Fairness Hearing for final approval of the agreement has been scheduled for March 9 in the Dorchester County Court of Common Pleas. Lawrence Richter, lead counsel for the claimants, said, "Hopefully this class settlement will bring to a close this sad and shameful chapter, and enable victims to have some closure, compensation, and peace. These brave and long suffering victims who have stood firm and demanded accountability should be applauded. These individuals can never be fully compensated, nor their suffering taken away. I anticipate they will find comfort in the hope that their actions may serve as a deterrent to future victimization by those who hold a public trust." In an open letter to the faithful of the Diocese of Charleston, Bishop Robert J. Baker said, "The demands of justice and the desire to heal the hurts of those abused by those sent to minister to them weigh heavily upon my heart. I deeply regret the anguish of any individual who has suffered the scourge of childhood abuse and am firmly committed to a just resolution of any instance in which a person who holds the responsibility of protector has become a predator. I believe that a proactive approach to healing the evil that has been done is not only constructive, but absolutely necessary." The settlement provides for the formation of two classes of claimants against the Diocese. The first class includes all individuals born on or before August 30, 1980, who as minors, were sexually abused by agents of the Diocese of Charleston. The second class includes those spouses and parents of the first class. A neutral arbitrator appointed by the court will review and validate each claim. The arbitrator will determine a monetary award for each victim within a predetermined range based on the nature of the abuse he or she suffered. The Diocese is responsible for funding the settlement from two pools of monies. An initial pool in the amount of $5 million dollars will be established and upon disbursement of a sum equaling or exceeding $4 million, a second pool of $7 million dollars will be put in place. There were significant moral requirements as well as civil and ecclesiastical legal issues that were addressed and worked through in the process of coming to this final agreement. "Throughout the negotiations, the victims' needs were always in the forefront of everyone's mind. The good will with which the parties worked to bring this settlement to fruition cannot be overstated," agreed Lawrence Richter of Richter & Haller and Bishop Baker. The Diocese of Charleston is encouraging victims to come forward and to file their claim by contacting Class Counsel at Richter & Haller, Attorneys and Counselors at Law, at (843) 849-6000. The class action agreement is another step forward in meeting the demands of justice and the needs of victims. Since 1994, the Diocese of Charleston has instituted strict policies in regard to hiring staff and investigating allegations of child sexual abuse. For complete coverage of this story, see Saturday's edition of The Post and Courier. To subscribe to the paper call 853-7678
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