A Roman Catholic diocese in suburban New York is creating an independent compensation program for people who were sexually abused by priests.
The Diocese of Rockville Centre on Long Island sent letters this week to people who previously have filed complaints, Newsday reports.
The diocese is the eighth largest in the United States with an estimated 1.4 million Catholics.
The compensation program will be modeled after ones established in the Archdiocese of New York and the Diocese of Brooklyn during the past year.
Victims deemed eligible for financial compensation must agree not to pursue legal action against the church in the future in order to collect.
Rockville Centre's program could involve dozens of cases of alleged abuse, some dating back decades.
