The head of the Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City has released a public report that details sexual abuse allegations involving Utah priests and nearly three dozen victims since 1990.
Like many Catholic Church leaders, Bishop Oscar Solis has publicly voiced his disgust following last month鈥檚 grand jury report in Pennsylvania that documented abuse at the hands of 300 priests. But in the release of his report this week, Solis took it a step further by detailing sexual abuse within Utah鈥檚 Catholic Church over the past 28 years.
Approximately 34 victims have allegedly been abused by 16 priests since 1990, according to the report. Two of those allegations, involving priests Jorge Martinez-Gomez and , came this year. Both are currently on leave from their respective Utah County parishes as the cases are being investigated.
Bishop Solis wrote, 鈥淥n behalf of all my brother priests, and myself, I beg your forgiveness for their sins and failings.鈥�
Judy Larson of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) in Utah, said she鈥檚 glad to see Bishop Solis respond in this way, but that it鈥檚 probably too early for forgiveness.
鈥淧eople are not going to accept platitudes,鈥� Larson said. 鈥淭hey want to see some real action. Some real change.鈥�
The report did include a renewed commitment to reporting abuse to both 鈥渢he Department of Child and Family Services as well as to a law enforcement agency or police.鈥�
Larson said that鈥檚 a good first step, but she wants even greater transparency moving forward, including names of the priests and their parishes. While the number may be shocking to some, 16 seems too low of a number, Larson said.
鈥淭hese aren鈥檛 ecclesiastical issues,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hese are criminal issues.鈥�
Like many Catholic Church leaders, Bishop Oscar Solis has publicly voiced his disgust following last month鈥檚 grand jury report in Pennsylvania that documented abuse at the hands of 300 priests. But in the release of his report this week, Solis took it a step further by detailing sexual abuse within Utah鈥檚 Catholic Church over the past 28 years.
Approximately 34 victims have allegedly been abused by 16 priests since 1990, according to the report. Two of those allegations, involving priests Jorge Martinez-Gomez and , came this year. Both are currently on leave from their respective Utah County parishes as the cases are being investigated.
Bishop Solis wrote, 鈥淥n behalf of all my brother priests, and myself, I beg your forgiveness for their sins and failings.鈥�
Judy Larson of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) in Utah, said she鈥檚 glad to see Bishop Solis respond in this way, but that it鈥檚 probably too early for forgiveness.
鈥淧eople are not going to accept platitudes,鈥� Larson said. 鈥淭hey want to see some real action. Some real change.鈥�
The report did include a renewed commitment to reporting abuse to both 鈥渢he Department of Child and Family Services as well as to a law enforcement agency or police.鈥�
Larson said that鈥檚 a good first step, but she wants even greater transparency moving forward, including names of the priests and their parishes. While the number may be shocking to some, 16 seems too low of a number, Larson said.
鈥淭hese aren鈥檛 ecclesiastical issues,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hese are criminal issues.鈥�
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