The Diocese of Camden, N.J., faces 345 new claims of alleged clergy sex abuse as part of its ongoing bankruptcy case, according to attorneys involved in the dispute, the Cherry Hill Courier-Post reported. The claims are currently in the early stage of a mediation process while the two sides also battle in U.S. Bankruptcy Court, said lawyers for clergy accusers. "An accurate accounting and inventory of all cases will be required before any meaningful settlement discussions can be undertaken," said John Baldante, a Haddonfield attorney who filed 70 of the claims. Among other factors, the parties in mediation need to identify "insurance coverage from past decades applicable to these sexual abuses," Baldante said. The diocese has cited the financial impact of sex-abuse claims as a primary reason for its decision to seek protection from its creditors in October 2020. Bishop Dennis Sullivan at that time said the diocese had paid more than $8 million to settle 71 claims before withdrawing three months earlier from a statewide fund established for victims of sex abuse by Catholic clergy.
