NEW LONDON (CT)
The Day
February 11. 2019
By Joe Wojtas
The Diocese of Norwich on Sunday afternoon released the names of 43 priests who have served in the diocese since its founding in 1953 and have had “allegations of substance” made against them regarding the sexual abuse of minors.
The list does not include what parishes the priests served at, what they were accused of doing and whether the diocese reported them to police or the state Department of Children and Families, which clergy have been required to do under the state’s mandatory reporter law since 1971.
Sunday’s list also does not say which priests were involved in the almost $7.7 million worth of settlements paid out to victims. It also does not include priests accused of sexually assaulting adults.
The list includes the priest’s name, date of ordination, if they were removed from ministry, if they are deceased and if they are a member of the diocese, members of other dioceses or religious orders, or priests who served in the diocese but had allegations in other locations.
The list includes a large number of priests who have not been publicly identified in the past as having been accused of sexually abusing children.
Prior to the release of the list, The Day had identified 28 priests and brothers affiliated with the Diocese of Norwich who have been accused of sexually assaulting children and adults, according to lawsuits, depositions, sworn statements and statements from alleged victims. Six of these priests were not on the list released by the diocese Sunday.
Diocese spokesman Wayne Gignac said Sunday the diocese would not be commenting on individual allegations or settlements and did not say which allegations were reported to DCF or police. In addition, he said interviews with Bishop of Norwich Michael Cote are not being granted at this time.
“The scope of the task was to provide a list of names of clergy with allegations of substance of sexual abuse of minors. It is our hope that the release of the names will bring some measure of healing, and acknowledgement to those who have been directly harmed,” he wrote in an email.
In a letter distributed at churches in the diocese this weekend, Cote defined an “allegation of substance” as one in which the priest has pleaded guilty or no contest in criminal court to any incident of sexual misconduct, the allegation has been investigated and “been determined to be reasonable, plausible, probable and bearing the semblance of the truth,” is corroborated with other evidence or another source and/or has been acknowledged or admitted to by the accused priest.
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