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	Sex Abuse Allegations Involve North County Priests By William Finn Bennett North County Times [California] February 28, 2007 http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/03/01/news/top_stories/1_64_002_28_07.txt North Country - The sex abuse lawsuits against the Catholic Diocese of San Diego include allegations by 62 people accusing priests who served in North County churches at one time or another, plaintiffs' attorneys said Wednesday. The source, who spoke with the North County Times on the condition that his firm not be identified, said that the number 62 "is on the low side," and likely to increase upon greater review of the data. "We have only been able to review the transfer history of a limited number of priests so far," the source said. The fate of those 140 lawsuits and more than $200 million in claims were uncertain as of Wednesday because the diocese filed for federal Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection late Tuesday, temporarily halting all of the lawsuits. Another attorney, Michael Zimmer, whose firm is representing 45 of the 163 plaintiffs who are suing the diocese, said that sexual abuse occurred at four North County churches. Tuesday's bankruptcy filing came after failed settlement negotiations. San Diego Diocese Bishop Robert Brom could not be reached for comment Wednesday. However, in a prepared statement posted on the diocese Web site on Tuesday, Brom announced the organization was filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection to allow it to reorganize its debts and finances. "Unfortunately, renewed efforts at settlement negotiations were unsuccessful," Brom wrote. "We put money on the table that would have stretched our financial capability to the limit, but demands were made which exceeded the financial resources of both the diocese and our insurance carrier." Brom wrote in his statement that the diocese will disclose the names of accused priests "about whom there is certitude regarding their abuse, as well as the extent of their abuse," and "will verify that no known abuser is functioning in ministry." Four other Catholic dioceses in the country have sought bankruptcy protection as a result of sexual abuse claims. One attorney representing the Diocese of San Diego said Wednesday that he could not confirm how many of the alleged victims live in North County, nor could he say how many North County churches were involved. Diocese attorney Micheal Webb said that one of the claims of abuse dates back as far as 1939. The San Diego Diocese, which covers San Diego and Imperial counties, has 98 churches, runs 50 schools and has nearly 1 million parishioners. Up until 1978, the diocese covered San Diego, Riverside, San Bernardino and Imperial counties. The acts of abuse are alleged to have occurred over that four-county area. Webb said that settlement negotiations broke down Tuesday afternoon, when plaintiffs' attorneys refused the diocese's latest offer. "The longer we talked, the more it became apparent that we weren't going to be able to bridge the gap," Webb said, adding that the difference between the amount the diocese was willing to pay and what plaintiffs' attorneys were asking was "huge." In a Wednesday afternoon news conference in San Diego, the San Diego director of the victims advocacy group, Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, had harsh words for Brom. "He'll spend literally millions of hard-earned and generously given donations from decent Catholics on high-priced lawyers who will protect him and his secrets," said Paul Livingston. Brom requested that area churches put a statement of his in church bulletins last weekend notifying congregations that the diocese was thinking of filing for bankruptcy. "I think people are taking the bishop's statements at face value and are continuing to express their faith and hope that this will work out for the victims and for the diocese," said the Rev. George Dunkley, pastor of St. Mark's Roman Catholic Church of San Marcos. The Rev. Richard Perozich, pastor at St. Mary's Catholic Church of Escondido, said that some parishioners have expressed concern over the financial effects that lawsuits could have on their church. "They are asking if they can come in and take St. Mary's money away from us," Perozich said. But it's his understanding that the church is not really diocesan property, so the church could not be taken in a lawsuit, he said. "People are fairly trusting of what is going on and of the bishop," Perozich said. -- Contact staff writer William Finn Bennett at (760) 740-5426 or wbennett@nctimes.com. Related: Too Early for Parishes to Tell What Bankruptcy Filing Might Mean
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