Group to protest Burlington Diocese handling of sex abuse allegations

BURLINGTON (VT)
WCAX TV

August 5, 2019

Vermont’s Roman Catholic Diocese plans to release by the end of the month its long-awaited report on priests who have been accused of sexually abusing children.

It comes as a group in Burlington plans to protest Monday over the delay in the report’s release.

The group Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests claims that Bishop Christopher Coyne pledged to post the names of the accused priests, but that he “continues to be secretive.”

Organizers say clergy sex abuse victims and their supporters will gather Monday at Burlington Diocese headquarters in South Burlington around 2:15 p.m. to disclose names of eight accused Catholic clerics.

Bishop Coyne in a statement Monday said he expects the list by the end of the month.

“While it was hoped that the report of the independent file review committee would have been published earlier this year, the Diocese of Burlington has provided the committee with the time needed to ensure a thorough and accurate accounting of credibly accused priests. As a result, the independent file review committee’s work took longer than originally anticipated. The work is just about completed and the report will be published by the Diocese of Burlington before the end of August,” Coyne said.

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