(KRNV) According to a published report today, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Reno has paid 328,000 dollars to settle claims of sexual abuse made by at least seven people against local priests.
Chancellor Brother Matthew Cunningham told the Reno Gazette-Journal that the settlements reached over the last two years involve allegations of abuse that occurred in the 1960s and 70s by priests who have either left the area or died.
The diocese paid 35,000 dollars to an undisclosed number of victims in 2005 and 50,000 dollars to a lone victim in 2004.
The abuse claims have involved three former priests to date. None was criminally charged because the accusations involved molestation that occurred decades ago.
David Brusky and Eugene Braun each were accused of molesting young girls, Brusky while at Our Lady of the Snows parish and Braun while at Saint Therese Church of the Little Flower, both in Reno.
The late Harold Vieages was accused of molesting young boys at Saint Theresa’s Elementary School in Carson City.