Church abuse case settled for $13.5m

The Roman Catholic Church in Rhode Island has agreed to pay $13.5m (£8.7m) to settle America's longest-running sexual abuse scandal involving members of the clergy.

The diocese of Providence reached the settlement to deal with 36 sexual abuse lawsuits dating back a decade. It comes less than two months after a state Superior Court judge ordered the diocese to open its files for the first time – revealing what it knew of abusive priests and what action it took.

Robert Mulvee, the Bishop of Providence, said yesterday at the diocesan headquarters: "This is a day long sought that brings to an end the difficult and often contentious process of litigation that has been painful for most concerned.

"I hope that this action will be helpful to the victims of abuse and bring them in some way closer to closure and reconciliation with their God, their church, their families and themselves. As Bishop of Providence, I reach out with deep sadness to the victims."

A spate of abuse allegations has unsettled the Roman Catholic Church in America this year. Monday's settlement was particularly important because Rhode Island is the most Roman Catholic state in the country, with 624,000 Catholics in a population of a million.

The decision to reach a settlement was applauded by victims and their lawyers. "I feel emancipated," said Anita Guilbeault, 43, who was abused as a teenager by her parish priest. "I don't want to stay angry. God didn't leave me by the wayside, the Church did."

Timothy Conlon, a lawyer for many of the victims, addressed the bishop. "Your heartfelt condolences and reaching out to my clients means more to them than anything I could bring. It's more than you had to do ... I applaud your courage."

The settlement covers all but two of the men and women who sued the diocese in the early 1990s, accusing 11 priests and a nun of abusing them when they were children. Negotiations continue in the final two cases. Church officials said the settlement would be paid out within 10 to 15 years.