The majority of abuse claims, according to Bishop John McDermott’s disclosure in the file, happened before to 2000.

Over thirty lawsuits have been filed against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington, Vermont, USA, alleging decades-old child sex abuse by clergy.

This follows the settlement of 67 cases of a similar nature for a total of $34 million since 2006, as per a court document.

According to the Associated Press, more lawsuits against the diocese have been filed after the state eliminated the statute of limitations on claims in 2019.

The majority of abuse claims, according to Bishop John McDermott’s disclosure in the file, happened before to 2000.

According to a 2019 investigation, 40 priests were the subject of “credible and substantiated” allegations; of these, just one incidence happened after 2000. Since then, the diocese has sold assets and utilised the proceeds to pay settlement expenses.

In the affidavit, McDermott stated, “The Diocese is concerned that an excessive settlement with a select group of pending cases or a judgement in favour of a single plaintiff could leave the Diocese with insufficient assets to fairly compensate other survivors and creditors due to the lack of insurance coverage and the Diocese’s depleted assets.”

Representing nearly one-third of the plaintiffs, attorney Celeste Laramie charged that the diocese had concealed assets, saying that “for decades the Burlington Diocese covered up horrific sexual abuse of generations of Vermont’s children by sexual predators it employed as priests.”

Attorney John Evers, who also represents the plaintiffs, said he looks forward to learning more about the church’s resources.

Vermont’s case is one of more than thirty-two dioceses in the United States that have filed for bankruptcy.