THE US:Lawyers for more than 500 clergy-abuse plaintiffs and the Archdiocese of Boston have agreed an $85 million settlement, the largest so far offered by the Roman Catholic Church to settle sex abuse cases.
The deal went through after its acceptance by the abuse victims, who were being consulted by their representatives after the archdiocese's current offer was made at a meeting late on Sunday evening.
While earlier yesterday both parties were insisting that the deal could still be derailed, the $85 million offer is the closest the Church has come to meeting the $90-$120 million that is being sought by the victims.
The figure is also a considerable advance on the $55 million that was originally offered by the Church.
It is understood that the offer was made, in writing, by Archbishop of Boston Dr Sean Patrick O'Malley.
According to the Boston Herald, Archbishop O'Malley had indicated that it would be the Church's final offer.
While an anonymous source close to the negotiations said earlier that there was "no deal yet", a statement released later yesterday by the archdiocese was more confident that a deal was near. "All parties are still working towards a settlement offer and are hopeful it can get done," the Church statement said.
Since Archbishop O'Malley took up his post last July, hopes have grown that the dark legacy of abuse in the Archdiocese of Boston could find some resolution.
Archbishop O'Malley has a track record of settling abuse claims in his previous diocese of Fall River.
His predecessor, Cardinal Bernard Law, resigned as head of the Archdiocese of Boston last year in the wake of allegations that he had continued to facilitate abusing clergies' access to children.
It was hoped that the experience of Archbishop O'Malley at settling abuse cases would be brought to bear successfully on the hundreds of outstanding abuse cases in the Archdiocese of Boston.
Indeed, shortly after taking office, the new incumbent took a new approach: replacing the lawyers for the archdiocese with his previously successful legal team from Falls River.
Archbishop O'Malley also has had face-to-face meetings with abuse victims in Boston - a move that many believe contributed greatly to his success in settling previous claims.
It is thought that the $85 million deal on offer includes a commitment to cover the long-term costs of victim counselling.
Funds to pay for any settlement are expected to come from Church borrowings and the sale of Church property.