(Reuters) – The Boy Scouts of America have reached an $ 850 million (€ 718 million) deal with groups representing tens of thousands of men who have filed sexual abuse complaints, which is an important step towards resolving the deluge of accusations that led the organization to bankruptcy.
In a document filed with the Delaware bankruptcy court on Thursday, the Boy Scouts of America said the deal with abused Boy Scout groups covers claims of around 60,000 victims.
The groups separately called the agreement a “significant achievement that brought consensus” among most of the applicants, the Scouts and more than 250 local councils.
Thursday’s deal must be approved by a judge and could face opposition from insurers who would be held responsible for the payments.
In a document filed in court, insurers said Boy Scouts excluded them from negotiations and gave victims’ lawyers too much weight in crafting the deal.
(Maria Chutchian and Jonathan Stempel, French version Camille Raynaud)
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