Landmark Settlement in Church Abuse Case

In a landmark case, a Minnesota judge approved a settlement of a case accusing Catholic church leaders of failing to warn congregants of predatory priests. The settlement details are unknown, but the two sides wrote up a list of "child protection protocols," including a promise not to interfere with official investigations, recommending accused priests for active ministry, and pledge to disclose accusations to other employers. The case, which was against the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minnesota and the Diocese of Winona, was the first to accuse the church of public nuisance, and allowed the prosectors to seek widespread evidence of abuse.