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London

List of accused sex abusers prompts apology from Diocese of London

A day after an international support group published a list of priests accused of sexually abusing minors, the Diocese of London is expressing its "utmost regret."

The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) has compiled a list of 36 credibly accused priests with the Roman Catholic Diocese of London who have been criminally convicted or criminally charged with more than one complainant and/or sued in a civil lawsuit that has been resolved for more than $50,000. The list, which was published on SNAP's website on Wednesday, is limited to those who were accused of sexually abusing victims under the age of 18.

The diocese said it has reviewed the published list, which "appears to be substantially correct." The dioceses added that it knows of four other priests who have had allegations of child sexual abuse levelled against them.

"None of the priests continue to work within the diocese or elsewhere in the church," the Diocese of London said.

The priests on the list committed credible offences between 1952 to 2005 throughout the province and in some cases elsewhere. The Ontario cities and towns where sexual abuse was reported include Chatham-Kent, London, Windsor, Sault Ste. Marie, Woodstock, Hamilton, Lakeshore, Stratford, Aylmer, Sarnia, Toronto, Sudbury, Uxbridge, Tillsonburg, Wardsville, St. Clair Beach, Grande Pointe, Port Dover, Cornwall, Seaforth, Langton, Owen Sound and Emeryville.

"We are sorry for the pain that clergy sexual abuse has caused, and we are committed to vigilantly protecting those who are vulnerable, to supporting survivors, and to swiftly addressing allegations," the diocese said in a statement on Thursday. "Bishop Fabbro has met with many survivors and their families. As a result of lessons learned within these conversations, we believe that there is no one way for survivors to respond and to heal from abuse. Only survivors of abuse, therefore, have the right to determine whether to publicly disclose their stories or not. We work with survivors to respond to their individual needs."

The full list published by SNAP can be found by clicking here.

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