LOUISIANA
The IND
The ugly specter of pedophilia has returned to haunt the Catholic Diocese of Lafayette, yet on Sunday churchgoers seemed unfazed by allegations that a predator may still be lurking in its midst.
The new allegations came from a four-part investigative series by Minnesota Public Radio, which uncovered a recently unsealed federal lawsuit against the diocese. The court files include a victim statement given in 1992 against three priests from the diocese, one being the Rev. Gilbert Dutel of St. Edmond Catholic Church in Lafayette.
The relationship with Dutel, the victim claims, started when he was 9 or 10 years old and lasted for about six years, eventually including two more priests from the diocese, the Rev. David Primeaux and the Rev. Lane Fontenot.
After a week’s worth of local media coverage, Dutel addressed the elephant in the room during Sunday’s services, prompting a standing ovation from churchgoers, according to this report from The Daily Advertiser.
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