A diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in New York has agreed to pay $323 million to 530 child sexual abuse survivors in a move that will result in the largest bankruptcy of a US diocese.

The Diocese of Rockville Centre in Long Island, New York told a bankruptcy hearing on Thursday (Sep 26) that the settlement will cover the liabilities of all the parishes under it.

Watch: Pope Francis meets survivors of sexual abuse by church clergy

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The diocese has 1.2 million members in Nassau and Suffolk counties.

A diocese consists of a large area of the Catholic Church under a single Bishop. A parish is an individual Catholic community with its own church.

Under the settlement, each of the 135 parishes in the diocese will have to file their own bankruptcy suits. This would provide the parishes with legal protections in exchange for subjecting their assets and liabilities to court oversight, the diocese’s attorney Corinne Ball said in court.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/16-nuns-denounce-pope-francis-break-from-catholic-church-under-excommunicated-bishop-724730">Also read: 16 nuns denounce Pope Francis, break from Catholic Church under excommunicated Bishop</a>

The settlement comes in the wake of four years of tough negotiations in the wake of hundreds of lawsuits alleging child sexual abuse by priests.

Martin Glenn, the bankruptcy judge hearing the case called the deal “enormous progress”.&nbsp; 
 
Earlier, the survivors had rejected the diocese’s $200mn settlement offer.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/german-catholic-church-lost-half-a-million-members-in-one-year-heres-why-610530">Also read: German Catholic church loses half a million members in one year. Here's why</a> 
 
As per the new agreement, Rockville Centre will fork out $234.8mn to a settlement fund, with four insurers contributing $85.3mn, Reuters news agency reported.&nbsp;

The diocese filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in October 2020, burdened by the mounting legal costs caused by the child abuse lawsuits.

At least 24 dioceses in the US filed for bankruptcy in recent years when a statute of limitations was lifted, allowing child sex abuse survivors to sue over decades-old abuse.

The Rockville case could become the template for several other dioceses facing similar bankruptcies over other child sex abuse cases involving the Catholic Church.

The archdiocese of New Orleans recently proposed that it and its affiliates settle the bankruptcy it filed in May 2020 for just $62.5mn, Reuters said in the report.

(With inputs from agencies)

A diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in New York has agreed to pay $323 million to 530 child sexual abuse survivors in a move that will result in the largest bankruptcy of a US diocese.

A diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in New York has agreed to pay $323 million to 530 child sexual abuse survivors in a move that will result in the largest bankruptcy of a US diocese. The Diocese of Rockville Centre in Long Island, New York told a bankruptcy hearing on Thursday (Sep 26) that the settlement will cover the liabilities of all the parishes under it. Watch: Pope Francis meets survivors of sexual abuse by church clergy × The diocese has 1.2 million members in Nassau and Suffolk counties. A diocese consists of a large area of the Catholic Church under a single Bishop. A parish is an individual Catholic community with its own church. Under the settlement, each of the 135 parishes in the diocese will have to file their own bankruptcy suits. This would provide the parishes with legal protections in exchange for subjecting their assets and liabilities to court oversight, the diocese’s attorney Corinne Ball said in court. Also read: 16 nuns denounce Pope Francis, break from Catholic Church under excommunicated Bishop The settlement comes in the wake of four years of tough negotiations in the wake of hundreds of lawsuits alleging child sexual abuse by priests. Martin Glenn, the bankruptcy judge hearing the case called the deal “enormous progress”. Earlier, the survivors had rejected the diocese’s $200mn settlement offer. Also read: German Catholic church loses half a million members in one year. Here's why As per the new agreement, Rockville Centre will fork out $234.8mn to a settlement fund, with four insurers contributing $85.3mn, Reuters news agency reported. The diocese filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in October 2020, burdened by the mounting legal costs caused by the child abuse lawsuits. At least 24 dioceses in the US filed for bankruptcy in recent years when a statute of limitations was lifted, allowing child sex abuse survivors to sue over decades-old abuse. The Rockville case could become the template for several other dioceses facing similar bankruptcies over other child sex abuse cases involving the Catholic Church. The archdiocese of New Orleans recently proposed that it and its affiliates settle the bankruptcy it filed in May 2020 for just $62.5mn, Reuters said in the report. (With inputs from agencies)

New York Catholic diocese to pay $323mn to 530 child sex abuse survivors, in largest US diocese bankruptcy

Former CNN producer John Griffin was sentenced to more than 19 years in prison for sexually assaulting a 9-year-old girl, revealed prosecutors. Griffin earlier pleaded guilty to child sex charges last December as a part of a plea deal which saw two other counts of child sex charges initially filed against him dropped.&nbsp;

The 45-year-old Connecticut man reportedly met a woman online and persuaded her to bring her 9-year-old daughter to his house, where he engaged with the minor girl in illicit sexual activity. According to New York Post, the mother, Heather Carriker, was also arrested and slapped with child sex charges.

A victim during Tuesday’s hearing told the judge that she has difficulties trusting people while telling Griffin that “You make me sad and angry.”

<h2>John Griffin: A proven paedophile</h2>

As per prosecutors, Griffin would communicate with parents having minor girls over Google Hangouts and lure them into making their girls engage in sexual activity with himself. During one of those conversations, Griffin would once say that a “woman is a woman regardless of her age” and that women should be sexually subservient and inferior to men.

In June 2020, Griffin instructed the mother of a 9-year-old and a 13-year-old girl that her responsibility was to ensure her older daughter was "properly trained." He then transferred over $3,000 to the woman for plane tickets, enabling the mother and her 9-year-old daughter to travel from Nevada to Boston.

According to prosecutors, the mother and child flew to Boston in July 2020, where Griffin picked them up in his Tesla and drove them to his residence in Ludlow. At his house, the daughter was coerced into engaging in unlawful sexual activity.

<h2>Other charges of child sex against Griffin</h2>

In exchange for Griffin's guilty plea filed last December, prosecutors dismissed two charges related to allegations that he also attempted to entice two other children into sexual activities. One of these allegations involved a mother and her 14-year-old daughter, to whom Griffin offered a "virtual training session."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/cnn-fires-tv-producer-chris-licht-after-13-month-long-crisis-ridden-tenure-601852">Also read:&nbsp;Chris Licht exits CNN after 13-month-long crisis-ridden tenure</a>

Griffin was employed at CNN for approximately eight years before being terminated following his arrest in December 2021. The mother of the victim, Heather Carriker from Henderson, Nevada, was arrested and charged in August 2020, although the current status of her case remains unknown.

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Former CNN producer John Griffin was sentenced to more than 19 years in prison for sexually assaulting a 9-year-old girl, revealed prosecutors. Griffin earlier pleaded guilty to child sex charges last December as a part of a plea deal which saw two other counts of child sex charges initially filed against him dropped.

Former CNN producer John Griffin was sentenced to more than 19 years in prison for sexually assaulting a 9-year-old girl, revealed prosecutors. Griffin earlier pleaded guilty to child sex charges last December as a part of a plea deal which saw two other counts of child sex charges initially filed against him dropped. The 45-year-old Connecticut man reportedly met a woman online and persuaded her to bring her 9-year-old daughter to his house, where he engaged with the minor girl in illicit sexual activity. According to New York Post, the mother, Heather Carriker, was also arrested and slapped with child sex charges. A victim during Tuesday’s hearing told the judge that she has difficulties trusting people while telling Griffin that “You make me sad and angry.” John Griffin: A proven paedophile As per prosecutors, Griffin would communicate with parents having minor girls over Google Hangouts and lure them into making their girls engage in sexual activity with himself. During one of those conversations, Griffin would once say that a “woman is a woman regardless of her age” and that women should be sexually subservient and inferior to men. In June 2020, Griffin instructed the mother of a 9-year-old and a 13-year-old girl that her responsibility was to ensure her older daughter was "properly trained." He then transferred over $3,000 to the woman for plane tickets, enabling the mother and her 9-year-old daughter to travel from Nevada to Boston. According to prosecutors, the mother and child flew to Boston in July 2020, where Griffin picked them up in his Tesla and drove them to his residence in Ludlow. At his house, the daughter was coerced into engaging in unlawful sexual activity. Other charges of child sex against Griffin In exchange for Griffin's guilty plea filed last December, prosecutors dismissed two charges related to allegations that he also attempted to entice two other children into sexual activities. One of these allegations involved a mother and her 14-year-old daughter, to whom Griffin offered a "virtual training session." Also read: Chris Licht exits CNN after 13-month-long crisis-ridden tenure Griffin was employed at CNN for approximately eight years before being terminated following his arrest in December 2021. The mother of the victim, Heather Carriker from Henderson, Nevada, was arrested and charged in August 2020, although the current status of her case remains unknown. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Former CNN producer John Griffin sentenced to 19 years in jail for sexually assaulting 9-year-old girl

A much-awaited independent study has revealed that hundreds of sexual violence cases have been committed by Germany's clergy and laymen in the European nation's top diocese.

The 800-page report on the Cologne diocese was commissioned by the Roman Catholic Church and uncovered 202 perpetrators of sexual assault and 314 victims between 1975 and 2018.&nbsp;

"More than half of the victims were children under the age of 14," Bjoern Gercke, a lawyer mandated by the Church, told reporters.

While the results of the report were shocking, the investigation has cleared Cologne's Archbishop Rainer Maria Woelki's name.&nbsp;

Woelki is a conservative who has long resisted reform, of breach of duty over the abuse. Series of protests were carried out against him after it was alleged that he refused to allow publication of an earlier study based on abuse committed by priests from his diocese.

The conservative, however, defended his decision by citing a right to privacy of the alleged culprits in the report and had also raised the question of lack of independence on part of some of the researchers.

His approach, however, was called a "disaster" by Georg Baetzing, president of the German bishops' conference.

Woelki is now suspending two Cologne Church officials, bishop Dominikus Schwaderlapp and the head of a diocese court, Guenter Assenmacher, with immediate effect and has held them responsible for a "cover-up" of several child abuse cases.

He has also assured that he will carry a detailed reading of the report and issue more concrete measures next week against the alleged culprits.

"The tragedy of Cologne regarding the report and the archbishop overshadowed this aspect," the government commissioner on child sexual abuse, Johannes-Wilhelm Roerig said.

A much-awaited independent study has revealed that hundreds of sexual violence cases have been committed by Germany's clergy and laymen in the European nation's top diocese.

A much-awaited independent study has revealed that hundreds of sexual violence cases have been committed by Germany's clergy and laymen in the European nation's top diocese. The 800-page report on the Cologne diocese was commissioned by the Roman Catholic Church and uncovered 202 perpetrators of sexual assault and 314 victims between 1975 and 2018. "More than half of the victims were children under the age of 14," Bjoern Gercke, a lawyer mandated by the Church, told reporters. While the results of the report were shocking, the investigation has cleared Cologne's Archbishop Rainer Maria Woelki's name. Woelki is a conservative who has long resisted reform, of breach of duty over the abuse. Series of protests were carried out against him after it was alleged that he refused to allow publication of an earlier study based on abuse committed by priests from his diocese. The conservative, however, defended his decision by citing a right to privacy of the alleged culprits in the report and had also raised the question of lack of independence on part of some of the researchers. His approach, however, was called a "disaster" by Georg Baetzing, president of the German bishops' conference. Woelki is now suspending two Cologne Church officials, bishop Dominikus Schwaderlapp and the head of a diocese court, Guenter Assenmacher, with immediate effect and has held them responsible for a "cover-up" of several child abuse cases. He has also assured that he will carry a detailed reading of the report and issue more concrete measures next week against the alleged culprits. "The tragedy of Cologne regarding the report and the archbishop overshadowed this aspect," the government commissioner on child sexual abuse, Johannes-Wilhelm Roerig said.

Hundreds of child sex abuse cases revealed in German diocese: Report

A monsignor who was a former advisor at the Vatican's US embassy in Washington will face charges of possessing and exchanging child pornography, the Holy See announced Saturday.

In a statement it said that Carlo Alberto Capella was ordered to face trial on Thursday, with the first hearing set for June 22.

Capella, who was in office until last year, was recalled from Washington by the Vatican in September.

The US State Department notified the Vatican in August through diplomatic channels of a possible violation of child pornography laws by a member of its diplomatic corps in Washington, the Vatican said at the time.

The United States had made "an official request" for the man's diplomatic immunity to be lifted but the Vatican refused, said a US official on condition of anonymity.

It is the latest case the Catholic Church has faced after repeated criticism for the way it has handled scandals over paedophile priests.

Last week Pope Francis wrote a letter to Chileans expressing "shame" that the Catholic church failed "to listen and react in time" to allegations of sexual abuse by the country's clergy.

The Chilean church has been rocked over accusations of wide-scale ignoring and covering up of child abuse by paedophile priest Fernando Karadima during the 1980s and 1990s.

In May the pontiff promised to "restore justice" after reading the conclusions of an investigation into the abuse, carried out after his defence of Chilean bishop Juan Barros -- accused of covering up Karadima's abuses -- caused a public outcry.

He later apologised to three of Karadima's victims at the Vatican and last weekend he received seven more people abused by the priest, who was suspended for life by the Vatican.

Two weeks previously 34 Chilean bishops announced their resignation over the scandal after being summoned to the Vatican by Francis.

In a statement, it said that Carlo Alberto Capella was ordered to face trial on Thursday, with the first hearing set for June 22

A monsignor who was a former advisor at the Vatican's US embassy in Washington will face charges of possessing and exchanging child pornography, the Holy See announced Saturday. In a statement it said that Carlo Alberto Capella was ordered to face trial on Thursday, with the first hearing set for June 22. Capella, who was in office until last year, was recalled from Washington by the Vatican in September. The US State Department notified the Vatican in August through diplomatic channels of a possible violation of child pornography laws by a member of its diplomatic corps in Washington, the Vatican said at the time. The United States had made "an official request" for the man's diplomatic immunity to be lifted but the Vatican refused, said a US official on condition of anonymity. It is the latest case the Catholic Church has faced after repeated criticism for the way it has handled scandals over paedophile priests. Last week Pope Francis wrote a letter to Chileans expressing "shame" that the Catholic church failed "to listen and react in time" to allegations of sexual abuse by the country's clergy. The Chilean church has been rocked over accusations of wide-scale ignoring and covering up of child abuse by paedophile priest Fernando Karadima during the 1980s and 1990s. In May the pontiff promised to "restore justice" after reading the conclusions of an investigation into the abuse, carried out after his defence of Chilean bishop Juan Barros -- accused of covering up Karadima's abuses -- caused a public outcry. He later apologised to three of Karadima's victims at the Vatican and last weekend he received seven more people abused by the priest, who was suspended for life by the Vatican. Two weeks previously 34 Chilean bishops announced their resignation over the scandal after being summoned to the Vatican by Francis.

Vatican orders ex-diplomat to face child sex abuse trial