DALLAS (TX)
Dallas Morning News

October 14, 2018

By David Tarrant and Julieta Chiquillo

With a stated goal of restoring trust, all Catholic dioceses in Texas announced plans last week to release names of clergy who have been “credibly accused” of sexual abuse of children since 1950.

But the announcement, billed as a unique transparency measure, raised further questions about the possible legal implications, the independence of the investigation and the meaning of the phrase “credibly accused.”

Victims’ advocates say they’ve heard it all before. Catholic dioceses in Texas, including Dallas, have been rocked for years by allegations of sexual misconduct and cover-ups. And the advocates don’t have faith that the dioceses will come completely clean.

“It’s pretty much obvious that the Catholic Church cannot be trusted to police themselves,” said Tahira Khan Merritt, a Dallas-based lawyer who has represented plaintiffs in lawsuits against the church in Texas for…