Connecticut diocese settles lawsuits alleging sexual abuse

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. – A Roman Catholic Diocese in Connecticut has settled lawsuits by five men who alleged they were sexually abused by four priests when they were boys in the 1970s and 1980s.

Settlement terms were not disclosed. Two lawsuits against the Diocese of Bridgeport were withdrawn Monday. The others were dropped earlier this year.

A spokesman says the diocese is pleased to have resolved the cases and is committed to helping sexual abuse victims heal.

All four priests named in the lawsuits have died.

The Connecticut Post reports the five lawsuits were the last of more than three dozen brought against the diocese by a Bridgeport law firm since the early 1990s. The cases involved abuse allegations against 29 priests and resulted in more than $20 million in settlements.