A Catholic diocese in New Jersey has reached a $180 million settlement to resolve clergy sexual abuse claims involving numerous survivors, marking the end of a challenging chapter in New Jersey’s confrontation with church-related misconduct.
Bishop Joseph Williams of the Diocese of Camden revealed the settlement in a letter released on Tuesday.
“For the survivors in South Jersey, this resolution has been a long time coming,” Williams expressed. “It signifies a significant step in their path to achieving justice, healing, and the acknowledgment they have long been owed.”
According to the diocese, which covers six counties in southern New Jersey near Philadelphia, around 300 survivors had filed claims.
The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Camden, N.J., as seen on April 20, 2022. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)
Greg Gianforcaro, an attorney representing the victims, praised the survivors for their tenacity, which ultimately led to this agreement after protracted legal battles.
“It’s been an extremely long and arduous battle,” he said, according to The Associated Press.
Bishop Joseph Williams, who serves the Diocese of Camden, said the settlement was long overdue for the roughly 300 survivors. (iStock)
The $180 million figure surpasses earlier settlements in Boston and Philadelphia, which were around $80 million, but remains smaller than the $880 million agreement reached in 2024 by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.
The Camden diocese filed for bankruptcy after New Jersey relaxed its statute of limitations, triggering a wave of lawsuits. In 2022, the diocese agreed to pay $87.5 million in a previous settlement involving roughly 300 accusers. Victims’ attorneys said the newly announced $180 million total includes those earlier funds.
The $180 million settlement surpasses earlier settlements in Boston and Philadelphia but remains smaller than the $880 million deal by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. (iStock)
The agreement must still receive approval from a bankruptcy court.
The settlement comes as New Jersey’s Supreme Court has cleared the way for a long-delayed state grand jury investigation into decades of alleged abuse by clergy to move forward.
