Milwaukee archdiocese settles with clergy abuse survivors for $21 million, Edward Heath abuse claims: Five forces investigating ex-PM

Milwaukee archdiocese settles with clergy abuse survivors for $21 million
Aug. 4, 2015 By SCOTT BAUER, Associated Press

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee said Tuesday that it will pay $21 million to more than 300 victims of clergy abuse in a settlement that would end a four-year bankruptcy proceeding.

The proposed deal, which will be part of a reorganization plan submitted to a bankruptcy court later this month, was to be reviewed by a judge overseeing the case at a Nov. 9 hearing. Archbishop Jerome Listecki called the settlement a "new Pentecost," but an attorney for the victims, along with advocates for those abused by clergy, decried the settlement as a paltry amount.

Milwaukee is one of 12 Roman Catholic dioceses nationwide to file for bankruptcy in the past decade over a flood of abuse claims. The settlement announced Tuesday is among the smallest per-victim payments yet in these cases. The actual amount each victim receives will be determined by an appointee of the bankruptcy court....
http://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2015/08/04/apnewsbreak-milwaukee-archdiocese-settles-for-21-million 


Edward Heath abuse claims: Five forces investigating ex-PM
August 7, 2015

Edward Heath, who was prime minister from 1970 to 1974, died in 2005

Five police forces are investigating claims of historical child sexual abuse involving former PM Sir Edward Heath.

The Met, Wiltshire, Kent, Jersey and Hampshire forces are conducting separate inquiries into the late MP.

The BBC understands Wiltshire Police halted an inquiry into a brothel keeper in the 1990s after she said Sir Edward was involved in child sexual abuse.

The Sir Edward Heath Charitable Foundation said it was confident he would be cleared of any wrongdoing.
'Case dropped'

On Tuesday night, Hampshire became the fifth force to say it was investigating "allegations", but gave no further details.

The BBC's home affairs correspondent Dominic Casciani says claims made by the brothel keeper, that Sir Edward was a client, meant that she had left herself open to prosecution.

However, the case against her was allegedly discontinued between 1990 and 1995....

    Operation Midland: The BBC understands Sir Edward is being looked at as part of the operation examining claims that boys were abused by a group of powerful men at locations across southern England and in London in the 1970s and 1980s. It has focused on the Dolphin Square estate in Pimlico, south-west London.
    Operation Whistle: The States of Jersey Police has confirmed Sir Edward forms part of its investigation into historical allegations of abuse. It says some of the allegations relate to abuse "within institutions or by people of public prominence".
    Operation Hydrant: A nationally co-ordinated exercise to collate all allegations of historical abuse involving high profile-figures. The operation has been notified of Sir Edward being named in connection with an allegation of sexual assault in the 1960s....

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-33770021