Brooklyn Diocese attempts to settle 1,100 open sex abuse cases after paying $100M+ to survivors
The Diocese of Brooklyn is planning to take roughly 1,100 open sexual abuse lawsuits to independent mediation, likely leading to settlements that compensate survivors, but it may not be their preferred form of justice.
Brooklyn Bishop Robert Brennan announced Thursday the decision on the remaining cases filed under the New York Child Victims Act after the Archdiocese of New York said late last year it had similar intentions.
In a letter, Brennan wrote it's part of an effort by the Diocese, which encompasses Brooklyn and Queens, "to avoid the time, expense and emotional strain for victim-survivors" of revisiting individual cases in front of a judge.
"The Diocese and our legal counsel have spoken with attorneys representing hundreds of victim-survivors to begin this process," Brennan wrote.
Diocese settled with hundreds of survivors since 2017
The Diocese of Brooklyn has already spent more than $100 million settling claims made by more than 500 accusers since starting its Independent Reconciliation and Compensation Program in 2017, according to Brennan.
"As our global resolution process moves forward, we continue to pray for the victim-survivors, their families, and all others impacted by sexual abuse. May the Lord our God bring healing and peace," the bishop wrote.
He said money for the settlements comes from "monetizing existing assets," not from any donations or further closings of Catholic Schools.
The Diocese's spokesperson said the larger New York Archdiocese's decision to settle was not a factor.
Advocates fear settlements are "designed to block accountability"
A spokesperson for the Brooklyn Diocese said the remaining allegations are largely "very old" and that more than 90% of the cases are from the 1960s and '70s.
"Many survivors are not able to acknowledge what has happened to them until their 40s, 50s, 60s," said Angela Walker, executive director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. "There are probably other survivors who are not part of this initial number who will now come forward as well."
Walker's organization said the Diocese's action is "designed to block accountability through the courts, shielding church records from disclosure and church officials from sworn testimony."
"A lot more needs to be done," Walker said.
"Nothing short of a PR stunt"
Attorney Jeff Anderson, whose firm claims to represent over 200 survivors in Brooklyn Diocese cases, said in a statement Thursday that the survivors "believe this update from the Bishop is positive news."
"For over six years, the Diocese has denied responsibility, contested virtually every case, causing survivors to endure, not just delay, but additional harm," Anderson said.
"It's signaling a recognition that these cases aren't just legal disputes, they're matters of profound human harm," said Nahid A. Shaikh, an attorney for Jeff Anderson & Associates
Attorney Anelga Doumanian, whose law firm claims to represent 50 survivors with cases against the Diocese, called the bishop's letter "nothing short of a PR stunt masquerading as a settlement offer."
"Our clients were left completely in the dark, and we have had no discussions with the Brooklyn Diocese about a global settlement," Doumanian said. "For years, the Brooklyn Diocese has fought tooth and nail to delay justice and escape accountability for the more than 1,100 survivors who were abused under their watch. Now, just as cases are finally moving forward and the truth is coming to light, they are attempting to pull the rug under survivors once again by announcing a global resolution that doesn't exist. This is a pseudo-offer at best, and survivors won't be fooled."
"Many people want to have their day in court"
The bishop's announcement will likely lead to settlements on a case-by-case basis
"Many people want to individually have their day in court and if that is the case, they should do that," Walker said.
CBS News New York reached out to multiple organizations to speak directly with survivors for this story. We hope to hear from them in the coming days.
