The Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego agreed Friday to pay $198 million to 144 victims of clergy sexual abuse, the second-largest payment since the scandal erupted in 2002. The agreement capped more than four years of negotiations in state and federal courts and came six months after the diocese filed for bankruptcy protection just hours before the first of 42 lawsuits was scheduled for trial.
Victims expressed relief that a settlement was reached, but they were angry it took so long. "They knew all along that I'd been molested, so to put me through this is unconscionable," said Michael Bang of Atlanta. The diocese had sought to protect its assets in bankruptcy court, but quickly found it a rough venue before a judge who criticized the church for bookkeeping practices, undervaluing real estate holdings and failing to disclose facts.
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