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Delaware Clergy Sex Abuse Case Settled

By Howard M. Friedman

Yesterday's Chicago Tribune reported that a Navy doctor has settled a Delaware state lawsuit against the Archmere Academy and the Norbertine religious order. He received an undisclosed amount of money plus public apologies by various defendants. The suit grew out of the months of sexual abuse plaintiff as a child had suffered at the hands of Norbertine Catholic priest Edward J.Smith who was a teacher and campus minister at Archmere. The settlement came after plaintiff Cmdr. Kenneth Whitwell convinced Delaware courts of the constitutionality of the state's Child Victim Act that created a two-year window for formerly time-barred child sex abuse suits to be filed. (See prior posting.) In other litigation growing out of the abuse, Whitwell has already obtained over $41 million in damages.

Full post as published by Religion Clause on September 25, 2008 (boomark / email).