MONTANA
KHQ
[with video]
by Victor Correa, KHQ Local News Reporter
COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho –
There was a sigh of relief on behalf of attorneys today in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. This came after a judge approved a multi-million dollar settlement between the Catholic Diocese of Helena and more than 300 people who claimed they had been sexually abused by the diocese clergymen. Today marked the end of a three and half year legal battle that started in September 2011.
Abuse victim, Jane Doe, says the money is secondary to the suffering she and hundreds more endured.
“It doesn’t go away, the pain never goes away,” says Doe.
Doe says she was abused in 1954 when she was only 10 years old. Though the legal fight may be over, for her, it’ll never end.
“Every time you see a nun, a priest, every time you walk past a church, you’re reminded of it,” says Doe.
In 2011, people like Doe began to come forward, the numbers quickly grew from 30 to 362. Lawsuits were filed against the diocese of Helena for sexual abuse and the Ursuline Nuns of the Western Province for allegedly knowing about the abuse and even participating. The current Bishop said at the time all of these allegations were overwhelming.
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