A federal bankruptcy court judge on Monday extended the deadline for the Diocese of Norwich, Conn., to file its bankruptcy plan to April 15. The deadline had been Feb. 4, The (New London, Conn.) Day reported. After the plan is filed, it will be sent to the creditors of the Roman Catholic diocese for approval by June 14. During that 60-day period, the committee that represents a large group of people, who say they were sexually assaulted by priests and employees affiliated with the diocese, will discuss the proposed plan with the diocese. All creditors of the diocese, including the victims of sexual assault, will vote whether to accept the plan. Eric Henzy, one of the attorneys who represents the creditors' committee, said yesterday that it will not be known how many victims have filed claims with the diocese until March 15, the deadline for doing so. That number could reach 100 or more. The diocese filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy in July as it faced more than 60 lawsuits filed by men who say they were sexually assaulted as boys by Christian Brothers and other staff at the diocese-run Mount Saint John Academy, a school for troubled boys, in Deep River from 1990 to 2002. Since then additional people, whose sexual assault allegations involved not only the school but diocesan churches, have filed claims in the bankruptcy case.
