Diocese Settles Sex Abuse Case against Former Dover Priest for $265g

By Abbott Koloff
Daily Record
April 3, 2012

http://www.dailyrecord.com/article/20120403/NJNEWS/304030011/Diocese-settles-another-priest-abuse-case-against-former-Dover-pastor

Local church officials say they have made another monetary settlement over sex abuse allegations against former Dover priest Ronald Tully.

Ken Mullaney, an attorney for the Paterson Roman Catholic Diocese, acknowledged that a settlement was made about a month ago but said any other information would have to come from the victim making the allegations and his attorney.

Boston attorney Mitchell Garabedian said on Tuesday that the diocese paid $265,000 to his client to settle the matter, and offered to pay an additional amount for counseling. He said his client was 16 years old and a student at Pope Pius XII High School in Passaic, where Tully worked, in 1976 when the alleged abuse took place.

Tully, 75, denies the latest allegation and others made against him, but has agreed to be defrocked, Mullaney said. Tully was stripped of his priestly duties after being removed in 2004 from Dover’s Sacred Heart parish, where was the pastor in charge for 20 years.

The diocese has paid at least $1.9 million to eight people who have made allegations against Tully, based on past statements by diocese officials and attorneys representing victims.

Mullaney said he didn’t know how much the diocese has paid to settle abuse claims against Tully, but in 2008 diocese officials acknowledged paying a total of $1.4 million to six people. Later that year, they acknowledged another settlement with man who was paid $225,000, according to Garabedian, his attorney. Garabedian said he’s represented six people who say they were between the ages of 8 and 16 when Tully abused them decades ago.

Mullaney said information about the most recent case was sent to prosecutors where the abuse allegedly took place, in Passaic County. He said the case wasn’t sent to a church review board because Tully already is barred from functioning as a priest and is waiting for Rome to grant his laicization (defrocking).

“I’m sure it will be granted because it’s voluntary,” Mullaney said.