Camden Diocese's Sex-Abuse Survivors Approved For $87.5M Settlement

CAMDEN, NJ — A federal judge approved a plan Thursday for the Camden Diocese to pay $87.5 million to survivors of child sexual abuse.

Bankrupted by sexual-abuse lawsuits, the Catholic Diocese of Camden agreed to compensate more than 360 survivors in 2022. But Bankruptcy Judge Jerrold Poslusny Jr. rejected the proposal last summer, citing loopholes that could leave the Diocese's insurance companies on the hook for invalid claims and inflated attorney fees.

The Diocese and the survivors' attorneys renegotiated the agreement, which was modified to meet legal requirements. Under the settlement, the Diocese must also maintain and enhance its protocols for protecting children.

The settlement received the support of 99 percent of survivors who voted in the bankruptcy case, according to Jeff Anderson & Associates, the law firm representing them.

"This moment comes after decades of survivors suffering, and it is their courage and their voice that is making the Diocese accountable and safer for kids," Anderson said. "It is the survivors deserving of credit, who courageously stand in Camden and across this nation. From their courage and collective action, brings about real reckoning."

The $87.5 million for survivors will be placed in a trust and funded over a five-year period, according to the Camden Diocese, which consists of parishes throughout South Jersey.

"I again express my sincere apology to all those who have been affected by sexual abuse in our Diocese," said Bishop Dennis Sullivan. "My prayers go out to all survivors of abuse and I pledge my continuing commitment to ensure that this terrible chapter in the history of the Diocese of Camden, New Jersey never happens again"

In early 2019, all Catholic dioceses in New Jersey released the names of clergy who have been credibly accused of sexually abusing children since 1940. Fifty-seven of the 188 clergy listed were based in the Camden Diocese.

Several months later, the state passed legislation opening a two-year window that suspended the statute of limitation for civil claims concerning child sexual abuse.

The Camden Diocese filed for bankruptcy in October 2020, citing civil liability from abuse settlements and financial difficulties arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Diocese serves Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem counties.