A judge overseeing the Diocese of Duluth's bankruptcy has signed off on two insurance company settlements that will pump nearly $10 million into the case, the West Central Tribune (Willmar, Minn.) reported. The agreements, approved by U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Robert Kressel at a hearing yesterday in Minneapolis will provide almost $9 million to victims of child sexual abuse and allow officials to pursue additional compensation. The settlements with Catholic Mutual Relief Society of America and Fireman's Fund Insurance Co. resolve two-fifths of a federal lawsuit filed in June 2016 that has stalled the bankruptcy proceedings. The diocese, which filed for chapter 11 protection in December 2015 in the wake of a $4.9 million verdict, brought the suit against five insurers in an effort to force coverage of claims received from 125 people who said they were abused by priests.
