Roman Catholic Diocese of Milwaukee

In 1976, Father Siegfried Widera was convicted of child molestation in Milwaukee. Three years later he was sent to Orange County, but the Milwaukee archdiocese failed to disclose the conviction in a letter to Orange County church officials, saying Widera posed "no great risk." Eight people filed a lawsuit against the Diocese of Milwaukee claiming Widera molested them as children. In 2002, when the church's national abuse scandal exploded, other victims of Widera came forward and authorities charged him with 42 counts of molestation in Orange County and Milwaukee. Father Siegfried Widera became a fugitive and spent a year on the run. In 2003, he jumped to his death from the balcony of a hotel in Mexico rather than face criminal charges in the United States.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Milwaukee has agreed to pay the eight victims a $13.3 million settlement. Added to the settlement from a church in California, the victims will receive a total of $28 million, or a record $3.6 million per plaintiff. (Sep-01-06) [LOS ANGELES TIMES]

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