Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) – The Buffalo Catholic Diocese has agreed to pay $150 million to settle hundreds of sexual abuse cases and emerge from bankruptcy. WBEN spoke to Kevin Brun, an abuse survivor, who told us that the settlement would amount to about $185,000 per survivor, and he believes it’s not enough given the years of suffering.
"I personally find it an insultingly low amount," says Brun. He says it comes out to about $185,000 per survivor. "After what I've been through personally, and what I've heard and seen and looked in survivors eyes and heard what they've gone through, the suffering, the decades of suffering at the hands of pedophile priests and employees of the Diocese of Buffalo, I don't believe it's anywhere near enough," contends Brun.
Brun says no amount of money can bring closure to him. "I lost my son, Patrick, to suicide after he read the letter that I wrote to the diocese detailing my abuse. So there's nothing that's going to bring my son back," says Brun. He says he'd like to see structural changes, though it may not be required under this settlement. "From my understanding, in many cases across the country, diocese have agreed to changes, but they've never followed through, and there's been more cases of abuse filed in those diocese. So, my main concern was that some safeguards or some restrictions would be placed on the diocese as far as the reporting of abuse and making sure that it was hand driven on the proper way and and not covered up," notes Brun.
The law firm Jeff Anderson & Associates, based in St. Paul, Minnesota, represents some of the victims in this case. They declined to comment on the settlement today but sent an email to the newsroom stating, “There is a hearing tomorrow morning at 10 AM ET in Federal Bankruptcy Court before Judge Bucki in the Diocese of Buffalo case, and more information can and will be shared about the settlement at that time.”
A spokesperson for the Diocese declined to comment at this time.