Victim Interviews Nearly Done in Church Abuse Case

San Francisco Chronicle
October 24, 2012

http://www.sfgate.com/news/crime/article/Victim-interviews-nearly-done-in-church-abuse-case-3978693.php

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — The Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena and 319 people who say priests and nuns sexually abused them as children are making progress toward a mediated settlement, attorneys representing the sides said Wednesday.

The two combined lawsuits allege decades of clergy sexual abuse in missions, schools and homes in western Montana going back to the 1940s. The plaintiffs, many of them Native Americans, say the diocese knew or should have known about the abuse, but covered it up instead of stopping it.

Earlier this year, the diocese pledged to cooperate with the plaintiffs' attorneys in identifying victims and working toward a mediated settlement. Diocese attorney Mike Patterson called this approach a different template from past sex abuse lawsuits across the nation in which a diocese would declare bankruptcy and let those involved deal with the aftermath.

On Wednesday, the sides appeared before District Judge Jeffrey Sherlock in Helena to update the case.

"We're pleased with the collaborative process so far," said one of the plaintiffs' attorneys, Milton Datsopoulos of Missoula. "This case had the potential to be explosive."

The sides have spent months recording interviews with the alleged victims. Scores of new plaintiffs have been added after the publication of letters and ads asking for victims to come forward, Patterson said.

All but about 30 plaintiffs have been interviewed, and it should take about a month to finish the rest, Patterson said.

"They've been done in a very mutual and non-confrontational manner," Patterson said.

The sides are scheduled to meet in November to lay out the protocol for a global mediation, and plan to hold those formal talks in March, if not sooner, he said.

In the event a settlement is not reached, the sides are asking Sherlock to lay out a schedule to take the cases to trial.

Between five and 10 plaintiffs have died since the lawsuits were filed last year, and Datsopoulos said several others are aged and seriously ill.

"That is why time is of the essence here," he said.

Sherlock scheduled another hearing for Dec. 4.