ERIE, Pa. (AP) — The Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie, Pennsylvania, has published a list of 34 priests and 17 lay people who are facing credible accusations of sexual abuse or inappropriate behavior.
It’s the first time the diocese has revealed the names of those accused of abuse.
The move comes as a grand jury run by the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office investigates how the diocese and five others in Pennsylvania have handled misconduct allegations against priests.
Bishop Lawrence Persico said Friday that the list is different from those released at other dioceses because it includes lay people also credibly accused of inappropriate behavior or abuse.
Twenty of the priests and two of they lay people on the Erie list are deceased.
The release comes just weeks after the diocese in Buffalo, New York, put out a similar list.
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