Massachusetts Diocese Settles for $4.5 Million with 59 Clergy Sex Abuse Victims

Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield pays $4.5 million to 59 clergy abuse victims

By STEPHANIE BARRY

SPRINGFIELD - The Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield Massachusetts announced Tuesday it has paid $4.5 million to 59 clergy abuse victims after a lengthy arbitration process.

The settlements ranged from $5,000 to $200,000 and were paid Nov. 20, according to a statement released by the diocese. Victims who agreed to participate in arbitration were asked to fill out confidential questionnaires detailing their abuse and the impact on their lives.

The abuse claims date back to 1948, a diocesan spokesman said. Among the claims were 31 new ones against defrocked priest Richard R. Lavigne, who has been identified as a serial abuser during waves of lawsuits since the 1990s.

Also, a new complaint was settled against former Bishop Thomas L. Dupre, who resigned abruptly in 2004 after the Republican Newspaper questioned him about two men who previously accused him of sexual abuse during the 1970s.

Those men received payments after this negotiation, according to the diocese. Dupre personally contributed to a portion of those, diocesan spokesman Mark E. Dupont said.

The arbitration followed an $8 million settlement between the diocese and its insurance carriers, which had resisted covering millions of abuse claims.