BATON ROUGE (LA)
The Advocate
October 16, 2018
By Andrea Gallo
The head of the Diocese of Baton Rouge announced Tuesday he will release the names of clergy members who have been credibly accused of sexual abuse within his territory — a major milestone in the fallout of a widespread Catholic sex abuse crisis and a significant decision for Bishop Michael Duca in his short time as the church’s leader here.
Duca’s announcement came on the same day that bishops and administrators in the Archdiocese of New Orleans and three other dioceses in Louisiana said they would release the names of priests who have been accused of sexual abuse. The Louisiana bishops had said in late September that they were weighing whether to release the names and that they would they were planning a “united response” to avoid putting too much pressure on one diocese.
“The Diocese of Baton Rouge, which was formed in 1961, will release the names of priests who have been credibly accused of sexual abuse of minors,” Duca said in a statement late Tuesday afternoon. “This is of the highest priority to us.”
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