A legal maneuver in Franklin Superior Court could delay a settlement between the Springfield Diocese and the survivors of sexual abuse.

Today, a judge allowed the survivors' attorney to draw up a motion to stop the diocese's insurance company from talking to the victims. Attorneys for the insurance company want to interview all 109 sex abuse survivors…including the 46 who have already settled, the 18 in this pending case and even the 33 who don't want anything to do with this case.

Their objective is to determine the survivors' credibility before any additional claims are paid out. One of the survivors feels this is a tactic to delay resolving the case.

"I resent it. I think they're slapping us in the face. I think they're using us in a chess game that if they want to play, then play, against each other, but don't put us on the board".

Peter Herrick is angry and wants to put his past behind him. Herrick says he was only 11 years old when he was first sexually abused by a priest. He claims there were at least 12 different priests who abused him until he was 23 years old. His wife of 19 years, Cynthia says she wants closure too.

"We're tired of the stalling tactics. We're tired of the length of time that this is taking. We just want to see the church stand up and do the right thing".

But Mark Dupont with the Diocese of Springfield says efforts are being made.

"Two years ago, we tried to resolve the first group of victims as quickly as possible with every reasonable expectation that our insurance carrier would live up to their obligation. Right now, their tardiness in meeting those obligations is really negatively impacting the next group of victims".

In Franklin County Superior Court, John Graceffa, the attorney representing Travelers Insurance et al, had this to say, "We're trying to set out discovery at this point. I really can't say anything else".

In the courtroom, he told Judge John Agostini the insurance company wants to interview all 109 abuse survivors to determine their credibility. But Herrick's attorney, John Stobierski says the insurance company is instead using the survivors as leverage to get the Diocese to settle, so it won't have to pay out.

"There's no reason to put these survivors through that type of heinous episode"!

Herrick says had the Diocese of Springfield put an end to the abuse early on and held his abusers accountable, he and the other 17 survivors wouldn't be calling for justice today.

"You can't really give me back my childhood. You can't give me back the years that I've lost not being a good husband and a good father to my family".

Stobierski has until June 23rd to file that motion. The attorneys for Travelers Insurance et al have until June 30th to respond. And, both parties agreed on July 31st, 2006 as the final date to handle all motions before a court date could be set.