Spokane Roman Catholic Diocese agrees to settle molestation claims

The AP reported today that:

SPOKANE, Wash. - The Spokane Catholic Diocese has agreed to pay at least $48 million to people molested by priests as a part of a deal to emerge from bankruptcy, a federal mediator announced Thursday.

Federal Bankruptcy Judge Gregg W. Zive in Reno, Nev., said the settlement also includes non-economic provisions that will provide survivors "with some measure of closure and allow them to move forward and continue the healing process."

The settlement also "provides a mechanism for the payment of future claims," Zive said.

The proposed reorganization plan was filed in federal bankruptcy court in Spokane. It still must be approved by victims and another bankruptcy judge.

The diocese serves about 90,000 Catholics in eastern Washington.