CALIFORNIA
Modesto Bee
By Deke Farrow
jfarrow@modbee.com
STOCKTON — The Diocese of Stockton announced Wednesday afternoon that it has reached a $1.75 million negotiated settlement with attorneys for a man who was a victim of sexual abuse by notorious pedophile priest Oliver O’Grady in the 1980s. The abuse occurred in Stockton, but Sacred Heart Parish in Turlock also was named as a defendant, leading to the filing of the lawsuit in Stanislaus County.
The diocese will pay $875,000 of the settlement amount. The remaining portion will be paid through insurance proceeds. Under the agreement, the case — the only O’Grady lawsuit filed in Stanislaus County — will be dismissed.
“It is our hope that this settlement will help the victim continue to find healing for the suffering he endured,” Bishop Stephen E. Blaire said in a news release. “We have tried to find resolutions to these cases that will provide some measure of solace for victims. We continue to follow strict measures to ensure that we are protecting the young and the vulnerable.”
An attorney for the victim was critical of the diocese’s news release. “The diocese press release is a cheap PR stunt that’s suitable for a company that engaged in securities fraud but not a church that did what it did,” said John Manly of the Irvine law firm Manly & Stewart. He added that his firm and his client had not intended to publicize the settlement.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.