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	Santa Fe Archdiocese Settles Sex Abuse Lawsuit Associated Press November 25, 1993 A woman who said she was sexually abused by a priest settled her lawsuit against the Archdiocese of Santa Fe for $ 600,000. Elaine Montoya, 34, said she was abused more than 300 times as a teen-ager by the Rev. Arthur Perrault, who fled his Albuquerque parish more than a year ago. His whereabouts are unknown. A grand jury decided not to indict Perrault on criminal charges. The settlement was reached Tuesday. Montoya is one of 28 people who claim they were abused by clergy and have sued the Santa Fe archdiocese. Archdiocese attorney Karen Kennedy said the church has made settlement offers in 12 cases. Montoya was the only one to accept so far, Kennedy said. In Chicago, Cardinal Joseph Bernardin maintained in a sworn statement that he never sexually abused a teen-ager. The statement was filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Cincinnati. Steven J. Cook's lawsuit accuses Bernardin of sexually abusing him more than a decade ago in Cincinnati, when Bernardin was archbishop of Cincinnati. Cook's lawsuit seeks $ 10 million and Bernardin's removal.
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