Dover, Del., Aug 5, 2011 / 11:04 am
The Oblates of St. Francis de Sales agreed on Aug. 4 to pay $24.8 million to settle lawsuits with 39 victims of clerical sex abuse in Delaware.
“I am sorry in the name of all Oblates for anything that an Oblate has done to violate a trust or to harm a person,” said Father James Greenfield, head of the Oblates’ Wilmington-Philadelphia province.
As part of the settlement, the Oblates – whose local staff work in schools and other ministries in several East Coast states – also agreed to release the names the 12 members identified as child molesters and to disclose their personnel files.
“An Oblate of St. Francis de Sales everywhere in the world understands the absolute importance of child protection,” Fr. Greenfield told the Associated Press on Thursday.