Diocese of Richmond Investigating Allegations against Four Former Priests

SNAP
June 9, 2020

https://www.snapnetwork.org/diocese_richmond_investigating_allegations_against_four_former_priests_jun9

The Diocese of Richmond has announced investigations into four former priests following allegations of child sexual abuse. We call on Catholic officials in Richmond to do outreach at every parish where these men worked so that other victims, witnesses, and whistleblowers will be encouraged to come forward.

According to a release from diocesan leaders in Richmond, the four former priests are:

Fr. William Dinga

Fr. Joseph Slowik

Fr. Thomas L. Long, Jr.

Fr. Eugene Daigle

Based on available information, these all appear to be new allegations against never-before-named priests. Because we know that abuse rarely happens once, we believe that there are likely other victims of these men who believe they are alone and have yet to come forward. It is on Catholic officials from Richmond to change that.

We call on Bishop Barry Knestout to personally visit each parish where these men were employed, publicly announce the allegations, and urge anyone with information to contact local law enforcement. He should also include announcements in parish bulletins and diocesan websites, ensuring the information is shared widely.

Because all of these men are still alive, it means they could still pose a potential threat to children and the vulnerable, so it is urgent that Bishop Knestout take these steps to inform affected parishes immediately.

CONTACT: Becky Ianni, SNAP Virginia Leader and Board Member (snapvirginia@cox.net, 703-801-6044), Dottie Klammer, SNAP Richmond (snapdlk@gmail.com, 804-347-9974), Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director (zhiner@snapnetwork.org, 517-974-9009)

(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 30 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)