Abuse victims rap Milwaukee archdiocese for handling of compensation claims
December 03, 2014
Three priests of the Milwaukee archdiocese have joined groups representing sex-abuse victims in an open letter asking Pope Francis to investigate the archdiocesan handling of compensation claims by abuse victims.
The letter charges that after encouraging victims to file claims, the archdiocese has fought to minimize payments, spending millions of dollars in legal fees during bankruptcy proceedings. The letter was signed by Father James Connell, a former vice-chancellor of the archdiocese, along with two other priests and representatives of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests (SNAP).
An archdiocesan spokesman said that Church leaders had warned that the archdiocese did not have sufficient funds to satisfy all claims, and filed for bankruptcy after victims’ lawyers rejected a proposed $4 million settlement in 2010.
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