Minnesota clergy abuse victims favor survivors’ panel plan

Published 3:46 pm Saturday, May 13, 2017

ST. PAUL — An overwhelming majority of victims of clergy sex abuse in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis favor a compensation plan submitted by a creditors’ committee.

Attorneys representing the victims said 406 people voted on competing compensation plans. Of those voting, 94 percent favored a plan by the survivors’ committee over one submitted by the archdiocese, which filed for bankruptcy protection in 2015.

Archbishop Bernard Hebda said the balloting does not necessarily dictate the final plan.

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The plan from the archdiocese includes a fund of more than $155 million for abuse victims who filed claims in bankruptcy court. The bulk of that money comes from insurance payments. A plan by the survivors’ committee calls for the archdiocese to increase its contributions to the victims’ fund to at least $80 million.