LOUISIANA
IND

The Catholic Diocese of Lafayette points to a 1992 investigation clearing the Rev. Gilbert Dutel of pedophilia allegations as the reason the priest remains active in the church, yet on Thursday, church officials said they were unable to locate any records proving their claim.

The allegations against Dutel — who’s currently ministering at St. Edmonds Catholic Church in Lafayette — resurfaced recently with the unsealing of federal court documents and an investigative, four-part news series by Minnesota Public Radio, showing that the priest was alleged to have molested a young boy in the mid- to late-1970s, prompting an investigation by now retired Bishop Harry Flynn in 1992.

Yet, according to this report from The Daily Advertiser, the diocese responded Thursday to the paper’s request for information pertaining to the 1992 investigation, including the name of who handled the inquiry as well as the contents of Dutel’s file.

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