Abuse Lawsuits Filed Against Ky. Church

210 Suits Filed Since April 2002

The Associated Press/January 21, 2003

Louisville, Ky. -- Nine more sexual abuse lawsuits have been filed against the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Louisville.

That raises the total to 210 since April.

The latest suits accuse five priests and a female teacher. The suit against the teacher is the first in the archdiocese that accuses a woman of abuse.

The suits claim the church was aware of a pattern of abuse, but failed to protect the plaintiffs.

Three of the new lawsuits are against the Rev. Louis Miller, who is also named in 70 other suits. Miller, who is retired, also faces criminal sexual abuse charges in two counties.

Most of the plaintiffs say they were sexually abused as children or teenagers. Some were altar boys, others students at Catholic schools.