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	Woman Claims Abuse by Top Catholic Bishop Irish Examiner [Spokane WA] March 9, 2006 http://www.irishexaminer.com/breaking/story.asp? j=144079540&p=y44x8xyzx&n=144080149&x= A woman has claimed she was sexually abused more than 40 years ago by the president of the US Conference of Catholic bishops. Bishop William Skylstad issued a statement yesterday categorically denying the accusation, saying he has not violated the vow of celibacy he took 47 years ago. The claim was filed against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Spokane, in Washington state, in the United States, by a woman who said she was under the age of 18 when Skylstad sexually abused her at St Patrick's Parish and at Gonzaga University from December 1961 to December 1964. Skylstad, 70, was a student at Gonzaga University from 1962 to 1966 and taught mathematics to students at Mater Cleri Seminary at Colbert, north of Spokane. The diocese is one of three in the nation that filed for bankruptcy protection to deal with claims of sexual abuse by clergy. Skylstad offered last month to settle with 75 victims for $45.7m (ˆ38.3m). The woman's claim was filed as a result of the bankruptcy "proof of claims" process, the diocese said. Victims of clerical sexual abuse have until tomorrow to file claims. Greg Arpin, an attorney representing the diocese, said there was a total of 135 claims as of yesterday morning, including the original 75 who would be covered by the settlement. It is unclear under the reforms American bishops adopted in 2002 for responding to abuse claims whether Skylstad should temporarily step down while his case is being investigated. The policy requires Catholic officials to determine whether there is "sufficient evidence" supporting the allegations against a cleric before they take him out of public ministry while a full review is conducted under Vatican oversight. In its statement, the diocese said protocols for dealing with sex abuse allegations were being followed, and that Archbishop Pietro Sambi, the Vatican's Apostolic Nuncio to the US in Washington DC, had been notified of the claim.
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