Diocese of Winona-Rochester clergy abuse: $30M for 145+ survivors

WINONA, Minn. (FOX 9) - More than 145 survivors of clergy abuse tied to the Diocese of Winona-Rochester are set to receive additional compensation after the diocese's largest insurer agreed to a $30 million settlement.

A long road to accountability

What we know:

The diocese filed for bankruptcy in 2018. Three years later, the diocese and two insurance companies agreed to pay $28 million to settle claims from dozens of clergy abuse victims.

However, the diocese's largest insurer, U.S. Fire, was not part of that agreement.

After three recent court verdicts against the diocese in sex abuse cases dating back to the 1970s, U.S. Fire has now agreed to add $30 million of its own to the payout for more than 145 victims.

Attorney Jeff Anderson of Jeff Anderson and Associates is calling the agreement a historic breakthrough.

"It's a great day for survivors," said Jeff Anderson, of Jeff Anderson and Associates. "This is the first time survivors have been able to collect directly against the insurance company."

'A sword and a shield for decades'

What they're saying:

Anderson believes the agreement could set a precedent for other insurance companies across the country that have argued they are not liable to pay into sex abuse settlements.

Whether other insurers will follow remains to be seen.

For the survivors themselves, Anderson says the deal carries a complicated weight.

"Now, this is a real and meaningful reckoning against the insurance industry and for survivors of sexual abuse," said Anderson. "For them, it is a mixed reckoning and moment in time. They now know that the courage and their persistence is some way rewarded. And there is a measure of additional accountability that should have been. It is heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time."