ST. LOUIS (MO)
Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests
October 30, 2018
The Diocese of Youngstown publicly named 31 priests that have been removed from their duties due to “credible” allegations of sexual abuse.
In a news release, Bishop George Murray clarified that a “credible” allegation is one “that, after a thorough investigation and review of available information, appears more likely true than not in the judgment of the Diocesan Review Board, and is accepted as credible by the bishop.” While we’re glad that church officials have taken this first step, we believe that they must take two other steps immediately to show that they are being fully open and honest about the extent of abuse in their diocese.
First, Bishop Murray and other officials in Ohio should urge an independent investigation by their attorney general to dig into diocesan records and do a full review of all personnel files and abuse records. Only independent law enforcement professionals can truly determine when an allegation is “credible” or not, especially given that we have seen church officials deem accusations not credible only to be proven horribly wrong later.
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