BishopAccountability.org
	Report: No. of R.I. Priests Accused of Sex Abuse Doubles By Tom Mooney Providence Journal October 19, 2007 http://www.beloblog.com/ProJo_Blogs/newsblog/#141315 The Diocese of Providence has admitted that more than twice as many priests as originally reported have been accused of sexual misconduct against children in the last 35 years, according to a national group that tracks such cases. Write body The Diocese of Providence has admitted that more than twice as many priests as originally reported have been accused of sexual misconduct against children in the last 35 years, according to a national group that tracks such cases. The revelation, said the group BishopAccountability.org, came in a case filed by one alleged victim. In a January document explaining why it couldn't produce all the records asked for, the church said the request was "unduly burdensome" because since 1971 it had heard allegations against 125 priests, said the group. According to Anne Doyle, codirector of the group, the church had previously said it had heard allegations against 56 priests since 1950. The finding, said Doyle, establishes that the Diocese of Providence is "among the worst U.S. dioceses for clergy sexual abuse allegations." The group called on the state's top prosecutors, state Attorney General Patrick Lynch and U.S. District Attorney Robert Corrente to investigate the diocese. A spokesman for the diocese could not be immediately reached. Lynch said in a statement that over the years he has never found the diocese to provide information that was "inaccurate or untrue… If however, through the information release today by BishopAccountability.org, we find that the diocese has withheld names and/or has not been fully candid … this will be very troubling news."
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