Boy Scouts reach $850m settlement with US sex abuse victims

Widening sex abuse scandal at Christian-affiliated scouting group as insurance companies balk at scope of settlement.

The Boy Scouts of America reached a USD $850m settlement with groups representing tens of thousands of men with sexual abuse claims, a major step towards addressing a deluge of accusations that sent the 111-year-old United States scouting organization into bankruptcy. In a filing on Thursday with the US Bankruptcy Court in Delaware, the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) said the settlement with the Coalition of Abused Scouts for Justice and two other groups would cover claims by about 60,000 abuse survivors. The BSA said the accord provides a framework for a global resolution of abuse claims that could allow it to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection “late this year”.