CHARLOTTE (NC)
WFAE
December 4, 2019
By Sarah Delia
In this episode of “The List,” we learn about why survivors of abuse in the Catholic Church and proponents of accountability push for the release of lists of credibly accused clergy. We also hear some theories as to why certain people might push back against the release of such lists. And we hear from a local deacon about why he thinks the church should talk about the crisis openly. There’s another why we learn about, too — why some people in power abuse children in the first place.
The following includes descriptions about sexual violence. Please be advised.
SARAH DELIA: If you can remember something that happened to you, why is it important to have a written record? Why do you need other people to know? And why would you want them to?
In the case of sexual abuse survivors who are waiting for the Charlotte Diocese to release a list of credibly accused clergy, it comes down to one word: acknowledgment.
ROBBY PRICE: One of the main things that we struggle with is feeling like this was an isolated incident, and we want to know that we’re validated, and we want to know that we’re heard. And, so, having a list that says, “OK, yes that man did something that he shouldn’t have done to me,“ it validates the survivors of sexual abuse to make them feel like they’re not the only one.
DELIA: That’s 35-year-old Robby Price. We heard his story in our last episode. Remember, when Price was 14 years old, he was sexually abused by Robert Yurgel, who served as a priest at St. Matthew in Charlotte. Price grew up in Charlotte and now lives in Florida. I reached him via Skype.
And Price has some theories as to why the list hasn’t been released yet. For one, he says, he believes there are more names on the list than the public realizes.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.