Diocese of Camden reaches a partial settlement with survivors of sexual abuse

(For Immediate Release April 19, 2022)

A partial settlement between survivors of sexual abuse and the Diocese of Camden has been announced today.  Over 300 hundred claimants have filed lawsuits against the diocese. In conjunction with the $87.5 million provided by the diocese, the courageous victims, along with their counsel, can act against the insurance companies that represent the diocese. The partial settlement still requires the Bankruptcy Court’s approval.

We are grateful to the survivors of sexual abuse from the Diocese of Camden who stood up for their rights and for all victims. We know that none of this would be possible without them. Credit also goes to the hard work of Senator Joseph Vitale of New Jersey State legislature who was instrumental in getting window legislation passed to allow the lawsuits to be filed. While we understand that bankruptcy denies survivors their day in court, we hope this brings closure to so many who have long held the liability themselves.

Included in the partial settlement is an agreement to strengthen child protection within the diocese and for public disclosure of the history of abuse in the Diocese of Camden. Our expectation is that the accounting is full, unfiltered, and must include abusive clerics from religious orders.

We hope this news encourages the Office of Attorney General in New Jersey to soon release the findings of their now 4yr investigation into abuse cases within the Catholic Church. We hope that investigators in New Jersey are looking long and hard to find creative pathways toward justice for survivors and to prevent more cases of abuse in the future.

New Jersey SNAP Leader Mark Crawford said, “Today’s partial settlement will finally bring some long overdue level of closure, validation, and healing to these victims in Camden.”

 CONTACT:  Mark Crawford, SNAP New Jersey Leader ([email protected], 732-632-7687) Mike McDonnell, SNAP Communications Manager ([email protected], 267-261-0578), Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director (517-974-9009, [email protected])

(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for more than 30 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)