Diocese of Charlotte to name priests with sexual abuse allegations after review

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte's diocese is promising to follow new guidelines from the Vatican as it handles accusations of sex abuse within the church.

The diocese said Monday that by the end of this year it will release a list of all clergy who have faced credible accusations.

These are not new allegations.

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Channel 9 has been pushing for that list for the past year.

An official announcement from the bishop said we will soon know the answer to a very important question: “Has the Diocese of Charlotte done enough to protect children from abuse since it was founded 47 years ago?”

Bishop Peter Jugis leads the Diocese of Charlotte, which includes dozens of Roman Catholic churches throughout our region.

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"I do not understand the delay, but I appreciate the effort," abuse survivor Rene Anctil said.

Anctil was confirmed to have been abused when he was a child by a Catholic priest in Boston.

"I'm glad that are at least being proactive and going to make it public,” Anctil said. “The sad part is he's had all the information for years."

The review of allegations in Charlotte date back to 1972 when the diocese was founded.

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The public will then learn the names of any clergy found to be credibly accused.

The Diocese of Charlotte said new procedures announced last week by Pope Francis for reporting suspected child sexual abuse are already in place there.

The edict from the pope has been criticized for not requiring Catholic leaders to report abuse allegations to police.