The Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena Montana has requested mediation services to resolve a series of decades old child sex abuse cases. Entering this civil mediation, the Bishop of the Dicese, Bishop George Thomas, has offered an unprecedented level of transparency in Church records to resolve these 250 cases. The two attorneys for the plaintiffs have separate opinions about this gesture.

The Events Behind the Civil Mediation

Approximately 250 people—currently adults—have stepped forward with complaints against the Catholic Diocese with claims that they were sexually molested as children by a number of priests and nuns. They make these claims particularly against the diocese since, according to them, the Church authorities should have known about the abuses.

These complaints were originally presented as a lawsuit, but after the Diocese's request to settle the issues in mediation, all parties requested to hold off the trial. Originally, the trials and ensuing mediation services were considered to be two separate cases, but the judge in the case is expected to merge the two cases for expediency.

Plaintiff's Mediation Attorneys Show Disparate Opinions

Timothy Kosnoff, the lead plaintiff attorney, if not optimistic, is amazed at the gesture of transparency on behalf of the Diocese. To him, it was a completely unexpected move, and that it was unprecedented. Leading up to the statement by Bishop Thomas, he was preparing for a long, drawn out battle.

The second attorney for the plaintiffs, Blaine Tamaki, is not so convinced. Tamaki believes that only time will tell if they will actually provide such access to their documentation. Whether the Diocese will deliver the financial documents and files on the accused clergy or not, this civil mediation is quite unusual for the mere offer of these records.