Diocese of Camden in New Jersey reaches $180 million settlement with more than 300 sexual abuse survivors
The Diocese of Camden in New Jersey has agreed to pay $180 million in a settlement to more than 300 survivors who were sexually abused by clergy members.
Bishop Joseph A. Williams said in a letter Tuesday that the proposed plan sets up a trust of $180 million funded by the diocese and insurers to settle the claims of abuse. It still needs to be approved in bankruptcy court.
"For the survivors of South Jersey, this day is long overdue and represents a milestone in their journey toward restored justice and the healing and recognition they have long sought and deserve," Williams said in a letter to members of the Diocese of Camden. "To each one of those survivors, I would like to say: Thank you for your courage in coming forward. Without your bravery and persistence, this new day would not have dawned. I am profoundly sorry for what you have suffered. It was a grave sin and a devastating betrayal of the trust you placed in the Church that you loved."
In 2022, the Diocese of Camden agreed to pay a $87.5 million settlement for the sexual abuse claims.
Lowenstein Sandler, a law firm representing the survivors, said Tuesday's settlement supplements the previous one from four years ago.
"I am in awe of the fortitude of these survivors, who have waited years to receive compensation for the horrible wrongs they have suffered," Lowenstein partner Jeffrey D. Prol said in a statement. "We are honored to have stood with them throughout this portion of their protracted struggle, and we are hopeful that resolving this bankruptcy case will prove to be a step forward in their personal recovery journeys."
The Diocese of Camden filed for bankruptcy in 2020 amid lawsuits stemming from sexual abuse claims.
"Survivors refused to let the diocese's bankruptcy silence their voices or diminish the harm they endured as children," said Alexandria MacMaster, a partner at Laffey Bucci D'Andrea Reich & Ryan who represented survivors. "Instead, it revealed and amplified their resolve, strength and their unwavering demand for accountability."
The Diocese of Camden has been serving South Jersey since 1937. It represents Catholics living in Atlantic, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem counties.
