Spokane church gets more abuse reports

SPOKANE — The Catholic Diocese of Spokane has received 21 new allegations of clergy sex abuse.

Church attorney Greg Arpin said none of the allegations involve any recent abuse.

Instead, they are accusations by adults who contend they were sexually abused by clergy years ago.

Seven of the claims have been allowed by a court-appointed reviewer who weighs the merits of the allegations and then decides how much money a victim gets. Five of the claims have been denied, and the remaining nine are pending.