The Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester will pay $5 million to settle lawsuits brought by more than 60 people who said they were sexually abused by priests in New Hampshire, a lawyer for the plaintiffs announced on Tuesday.
Peter Hutchins said the diocese had agreed to settle the civil claims filed by 62 of his clients who said they were abused while they were minors between 1955 and 1985.
Nearly 30 priests allegedly perpetrated the abuse, which Hutchins said "ran the gamut" from groping to intercourse and sodomy with girls and boys.
It was the second such deal in as many months involving the Diocese of Manchester. In October, the diocese reached a $950,000 settlement with 16 alleged victims of clergy sexual abuse.
The lawyer for a third group of plaintiffs broke off settlement talks with the diocese earlier this year and plans to bring those cases to trial.
Officials at the diocese did not return a call seeking comment on Tuesday's settlement.
Hutchins said his fee was about a third of the $5 million settlement, or approximately $1.7 million. He said he would use part of that to pay $120,000 in expenses he had incurred since he filed the case in April.