Sacramento Catholic Diocese Releases List Of More Than 40 Credibly Accused Priests
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – Bishop Jaime Soto has released a list of Sacramento-area clergy credibly accused of sexually abusing minors and young adults that dates back nearly 70 years.
The list was released Tuesday morning and is based on a review of the personnel records of nearly 1,500 bishops, priests and permanent deacons conducted by staff and an independent consulting firm hired by the diocese.
READ: List Of Credibly Accused Clergy In The Diocese Of Sacramento
Bishop Soto says the list goes back seven decades. It comes after the release of similar lists by more than 120 dioceses around the country – and decades of accusations against the church that has become more prevalent in recent years.
According to the report, the earliest reported incident of abuse took place in 1955. The most recent was in 2014.
The number of incidents increased in the 1960s and peaked in the 1970s, with nearly two dozen cases reported.
Of the 130 cases, 39 of the victims were female and 91 of the victims were male. A total of 44 priests and 2 permanent deacons were named in the list.
SEE ALSO: Eight Priests On List Served At Cathedral Of The Blessed Sacrament
Three men, according to the report, were responsible for nearly half of all the incidents reported.
"This accounting had to be done, I need to own and atone for what happened in the church's name," Bishop Soto said in a statement.
Bishop Soto went on to add that he apologized for the sins and failures of the past and is determined that such acts of abuse never again occur in the diocese.
The diocese encourages anyone who may have been abused to come forward and receive help.
