Archdiocese settles sex claims for $1.6 million

DENVER ' Eighteen people who said they were sexually abused byColorado clergy have settled their claims against the Roman CatholicArchdiocese of Denver for a total of at least $1.58 million, attorneysand church officials said Friday.

Fifteen of them hadfiled lawsuits against the archdiocese alleging that church officialsknew of abuse allegations against two priests but didn't do enough toshield children from abuse. Three others didn't sue but approached thechurch directly to have their claims settled, Archbishop Charles Chaputsaid.

"It's a time for us to be grateful that there's closure, but also not to forget the pain they've experienced," Chaput said.

Twentylawsuits against the archdiocese remain. Chaput said he and themediation panel would remain available to anyone else wishing todiscuss their claims.

The settlements of the 15 who had suedranged from $30,000 to $150,000, the Miami law firm Herman &Mermelstein said. Twelve cases in which men alleged they were assaultedas boys were settled for at least $100,000 each.

Settlement amounts were not immediately available for the other three.

"Ijust want to put closure on this," said Delbert Nielsen III, one of the15 who settled lawsuits. "I didn't want to go through the court systemand being taunted any more than we already have, even though we're thevictims."

Nielsen, 53, of Carlsbad, N.M., settled for $150,000,his attorneys said. He alleged he was abused by Harold Robert White, aformer Catholic priest who died of a heart attack at age 73 in Novemberwhile vacationing in Mexico.

White, a former St. Anthony'spriest, was in Sterling from 1965-1968, has been accused of molestingat least 12 boys during his 33-year church career.

Before he died, White had told KCNC-TV in Denver that allegations against him contained "half-truths."

Other plaintiffs had accused the Rev. Leonard Abercrombie, who died in 1994.

Duringmediation, the accusers described their allegations in a process thatChaput called "very painful," and Chaput apologized for their suffering.

Hesaid it was not his place to judge whether the allegations were true."It was obvious from the way they articulated their pain, there wassome suffering there ' authentic suffering," Chaput said.

The 15 plaintiffs were among 19 people the law firm represented during mediation with the archdiocese.

Themain reason the others did not settle was that the archdiocese wouldnot release the personnel files of the former priests accused of abuse,said attorney Jeffrey Herman, representing the plaintiffs.

Chaput said he is obligated to keep confidential personnel files private.

"Therewas no way anybody on God's green Earth was going to get thearchdiocese to open the files on the priests who were accused. Ifthat's justice for some people, then fine," Nielsen said. "I know in mymind what happened. Father Bob knows what happened. I believe thearchdiocese, his best friends and colleagues know what happened. Butit's not worth the court battle."

Nielsen alleged he was abused once by White, his godfather, when he was 11 or 12. He did not want to describe what happened.

"Whathappened to me doesn't compare to what happened to some people. ThankGod for that. But enough damage was done," Nielsen said.

He saidhe thought the mediation went well. "I was quite surprised to see thearchbishop there himself, which meant a lot," Nielsen said.

White was removed from public ministry in 1993 and left the priesthood in 2004.

Abercrombiewas sent to California in 1976. The Los Angeles Archdiocese has saidAbercrombie was accused twice of abusing minors there.