New York diocese files for bankruptcy

The Diocese of Rockville Centre in New York has faced more than 200 lawsuits since the state last year allowed victims of child sexual abuse to lodge complaints no matter how much time had passed. On Thursday, it became the latest and largest of more than 20 U.S. dioceses to file for bankruptcy protection. Rockville Centre, which includes much of Long Island and is home to 1.4 million Catholics, estimated it would owe $500 million in restitution and fees. “Our goal is to make sure that all clergy sexual abuse survivors and not just a few who were first to file lawsuits are afforded just and equitable compensation,” Bishop John Barres said.

How have the plaintiffs responded? Attorney Jeff Anderson, who represents 73 alleged victims of abuse in the diocese, criticized the decision. “We believe the true motivations here are attempts to block the quest for discovery,” his firm tweeted.

Dig deeper: Read Emily Belz’s report on New York rolling back the statute of limitation for child sexual abuse cases.