Guam's clergy sex abuse survivors could start getting compensation from the Archdiocese of Agana by early to middle of 2020, now that parties are set to go into mediation that will be followed by a reorganization plan, the Pacific Daily News reported. U.S. District Court Chief Judge Frances Tydingco-Gatewood gave the archdiocese more time to figure out how much it's going to pay the nearly 280 clergy sex abuse survivors and other claimants. Since the Aug. 15 bar date had passed, the archdiocese hopes that the mediation scheduled for Oct. 30-31 on Guam "will be successful and a plan of reorganization will be created which will reflect the settlement and the parties' intent going forward." Church attorneys said that more time is needed to deal with a "moderately complex and large case." The federal judge granted the archdiocese's request for a second extension of its deadline to file its reorganization plan and disclosure statement, to Jan. 16, 2020. That will be the first anniversary of the archdiocese's filing of chapter 11 bankruptcy, following an avalanche of clergy sex abuse claims totaling more than $1 billion.
