The Catholic Diocese of Manchester is publishing a comprehensive list of priests accused of sexually assaulting minors.
The reportincludes the names of priests both living and deceased dating back to 1950.
While all of the names were previously public, the Diocese says it created a website page as an act of "ownership and accountability."
"This is meant as an act of ownership and accountability," Bishop Peter A. Libasci said in a statement. "It is my hope that by making this information available, we are holding ourselves accountable to the evils of the past, and offering timely assistance, support and resources to those individuals and families who have been affected by the sexual abuse of a minor.”
The online site also includes resources for survivors of sexual abuse. The diocese says it hopes to restore trust. It’s paid nearly $30 million in recent years to compensate victims.
In response to the new web page, the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic & Sexual Violence called for eliminating the statute of limitations on child sexual abuse crimes. Amanda Grady Sexton, a spokeswoman for the coalition, noted that 52 is the average age that a survivor of child sexual abuse discloses the abuse. "It's clear that laws in New Hamsphrie must be reformed in order to protect victims of sexual abuse and to hold their offenders accountable," she said in a statement.
