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Abuse claims cost archdiocese $5.2-million in 2004
Associated Press
Published February 2, 2005
MIAMI - The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Miami says it paid $5.2-million last year to settle sexual abuse claims against priests - more than double its payments in the previous 37 years.
Archbishop John Favalora said the archdiocese has settled 31 of 35 sexual abuse lawsuits.
By making the settlements, Favalora said the archdiocese wasn't admitting that its priests committed abuse, but that the legal costs of defending the suits was getting too expensive. "This decision was made as prudent exercise of my stewardship ... and in light of the inability of those lawsuits to ascertain if the alleged abuse actually took place," Favalora wrote in the Florida Catholic newspaper.
Church officials said insurance covered the settlements and the money did not come from members' donations.
[Last modified February 2, 2005, 00:31:09]
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