The Minneapolis-St. Paul archdiocese was recently rocked by a massive sexual abuse scandal involving hundreds of claims. The scandal led to a class action lawsuit including over 400 class members. That case settled for $210 million.
However, after the case was filed, the archdiocese filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, which meant that the $210 million settlement would need to be approved by the bankruptcy court. Fortunately, after a near unanimous vote of 400 of the sexual abuse survivors approved it, the bankruptcy court approved the archdiocese’s reorganization plan, which would provide a payout to each of the survivors.
In addition to the record setting settlement, Archbishop Bernard Hebda issued the following statement:
One of the attorneys representing the survivors explained that people in the Minneapolis-St. Paul Catholic community can take comfort knowing they are now safer. The case not only involved allegations of sexual abuse, but also the church’s conduct in covering up the sexual abuse.
I am so very sorry for the horrific things done to you by people you should have been able to trust – and as a bishop, as a priest, as a Catholic, and as a human being – my heart aches when I think about the resulting harm to you, your families and so many others.
Shockingly, the former archbishop John Nienstedt was implicated in the coverup as well.
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