The Roman Catholic Diocese of Toledo said it will pay $1.19 million to settle lawsuits filed by 23 people who said they were sexually abused by priests.
The diocese is paying the settlements with money from an insurance fund, Bishop Leonard Blair said in announcing the settlements Friday.
In some cases, plaintiffs and diocese officials haven’t yet agreed on how to word public acknowledgment that allegations against certain priests were credible, said attorney Catherine Hoolahan, representing 12 plaintiffs.
Hoolahan said her clients settled because it would have been traumatic to discuss their allegations in court.
Diocese spokeswoman Sally Oberski called the settlement an important step in the healing process.
“We’re at a point where we can move forward now, promote healing, and encourage other victims to come forward,” she said.
Amounts of individual settlements were not disclosed.
The Toledo diocese includes about 307,000 Catholics in 19 counties of northwest Ohio.
Copyright 2004 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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