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	Dubuque Diocese Settles Sexual Abuse Claims WOI March 27, 2007 http://www.woi-tv.com/Global/story.asp?S=6286393&nav=1LFX Waterloo, Iowa (AP) — The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dubuque has settled claims with nine people who claimed they were sexually abused by priests, attorneys for the individuals announced Tuesday. Attorneys for the accusers said the diocese agreed to pay $2.6 million in cash, to be distributed based on the nature and extent of the abuse, and the impact the abuse has had on the person's life. The accusers named six priests, who were assigned to parishes in Ryan, Nevada and Dubuque and a parish and school in Waterloo. The alleged abuse occurred in separate incidents from the 1940s to the mid-1990s, the attorneys said. The diocese agreed to post the names of the priests on its Web site. No lawsuits were filed and the settlement was reached through private mediation earlier this month, attorneys said. The diocese also agreed to pay for the cost of 12 counseling and therapy sessions for each accuser. The attorneys, from Dutton, Braun, Staack & Hellman P.L.C, announced the settlement during a news conference at their office in Waterloo. "From my perspective, the archdiocese ... has never questioned the abuse of our clients to us," said Thomas Staack, an attorney for the accusers. Archbishop Jerome Hanus wrote each of the individuals, apologizing for the abuse. "What they did was heinous, awful, horrendous and cries to heaven for vengeance," Hanus wrote. Three of the six priests involved in the settlement are deceased. The others are no longer serving as priests "in any parish, school or hospital," diocesan officials said. Most of the settlement will be paid through a self-insurance program. Other insurance may cover the rest. Staack said he expects that more people will come forward with claims of abuse by priests. It's the second time the diocese has settled claims of abuse. In February 2006, it agreed to pay $5 million to 20 people.
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