Dallas Catholic Diocese Releases List of Clergy Credibly Accused of Sexual Abuse Since 1950

This story is developing and will be updated.The Dallas Catholic Diocese Thursday afternoon joined Catholic leaders across Texas to release the names of hundreds of clergy members who have been credibly accused of sexual abuse of children going back nearly seven decades.The Dallas diocese said its list of 31 includes those who were accused of sexual abuse of a minor since 1950 and does not constitute a determination of guilt.Dallas Bishop Edward J. Burns said in a letter accompanying the list that a credible allegation "is one that, after review of reasonably available, relevant information in consultation with the Diocesan Review Board or other professionals, there is reason to believe is true."Some of the names on the list are likely familiar to Dallas Catholics, and their cases had been covered by The Dallas Morning News and other media. One of those on the list is Rudolph “Rudy” Kos, a Dallas priest found guilty and sentenced to life in prison on child sexual abuse charges in the late 1998.The year before, eleven families won a $119.6 million verdict against the Catholic Diocese of Dallas in a civil trial on the Kos case. At the time, the verdict was the largest ever awarded involving clergy sex abuse of minors.By 2 p.m., seven Texas dioceses, including Dallas, had released their lists. Among them, the list included dozens of priests, two deacons and one bishop. Three in Dallas also served as military chaplains. Archdioceses of San Antonio and Galveston-Houston yet to publish their lists.But victims’ advocates were already questioning whether the list was complete and credible.“The only way to ensure that the bishops here in Texas are truly sincere about rebuilding their sacred trust is to allow for independent, properly trained experts in law enforcement to review all files and allegations related to clergy sexual abuse,” said a statement released by the Dallas-Fort Worth chapter of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP).  Continue reading...