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	Diocese Pays $200,000 to Settle Priest Abuse Case MPBN December 2, 2009 http://www.mpbn.net/News/MaineNews/tabid/181/ctl/ViewItem/mid/3483/ItemId/10012/Default.aspx MAINE--The victim says she was molested by a Catholic priest in South Berwick when she was a girl. A woman who says she was abused by a Catholic priest in South Berwick when she was 11 has reached a $200,000 settlement with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland, the woman's attorney told the Portland Press Herald. The woman says she was abused by the Rev. James Vallely in 1976, when she was an altar server at St. Michael's parish. Vallely died in 1997, and the diocese has previously listed him as one of nine deceased priests who had credible abuse allegations against him, according to the paper. Vallely also served in parishes in Portland, Bangor and Florida. The victim in the South Berwick case did not sue the diocese but had indicated a willingness to sue, her attorney, Mitchell Garabedian, told the paper. Garabedian says his client would have presented a strong case against the priest and his supervisors. That led to mediation last month and the $200,000 settlement. The woman now lives out of state, according to the paper. "I'm sure we would not have come to a substantial settlement if we didn't believe what the victim had to say," diocese spokeswoman Sue Bernard told the paper. She said the settlement was paid by insurance.
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