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	Diocese Settles Sex Abuse Suit By Sean O'Sullivan News Journal April 8, 2009 http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20090408/NEWS01/90408017 The Diocese of Wilmington today settled a civil lawsuit filed against it by a former altar boy who alleged he was sexually abused by a priest in the 1950s, when he was between 8 and 10 years old, for $1.5 million. As part of the settlement with Douglas J. McClure, who is now a 63 and a retired U.S. Marine Corps sergeant, for the abuse he suffered at the hands of the late Rev. Edward B. Carley when McClure was a parishoner at St. Ann's Catholic Church in Wilmington, he also received a written apology. The settlement comes just days before jury selection was set to begin in McClure's civil suit in New Castle County Superior Court. "This is a tremendous victory for all survivors of abuse here in Delaware," said McClure's attorney, Thomas S. Neuberger. McClure was among the first of the current wave of lawsuits to seek compensation for past sexual abuse by a priest, filing his civil action in December 2006, before Delaware passed the 2007 Child Victim's Act that suspended the statute of limitations on such matters for two years so that childhood victims of sexual abuse could seek compensation in civil cases. At the time McClure filed the lawsuit, he said he had bottled up memories of the abuse for decades. But in 2005 the memories all came flooding back after reading a January 2005 story in The News Journal about Carley's alleged abuse of a St. Ann's classmate. At that time, the diocese admitted Carley abused boys and apologized for his "despicable actions" as part of a $65,000 settlement with McClure's classmate. On Wednesday, the diocese made a similar admission and apology. "The Diocese and St. Ann's Church acknowledge that Mr. McClure is a human being and apologize to him, his wife, his family and to the people of the Diocese of Wilmington for the actions of former diocesan priest Edward Carley … The Diocese and St. Ann's are deeply ashamed of Carley's abusive misconduct and that Carley betrayed his mission to give healing and the love of God." Contact Sean O'Sullivan at 324-2777 or sosullivan@delawareonline.com
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