US Roman Catholic diocese strikes sex abuse settlement that could set record

LOS ANGELES (AFP) — Roman Catholic leaders in California said they had struck a deal to settle claims of priestly sex abuse that could set a new record for such pay-outs in the United States.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange reached an out-of-court settlement with 87 alleged victims of molestation by church officials, including priests, nuns and a church choir master, in Los Angeles late Thursday.

While details of the deal remain shrouded under a strict court-imposed gag order, The Los Angeles Times quoted sources close to the negotiations as saying that it will exceed the 85-million-dollar US record for such payouts.

Orange County Bishop Tod Brown described the settlement as "both fair and compassionate" and issued an emotional apology to the victims of sex abuse in his diocese southeast of Los Angeles.

"I intend to write a letter to each victim personally, ...