Northwest Iowa — The bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sioux City has released the names of 28 priests he says were credibly accused of the sexual abuse of minors while serving in the diocese.
Bishop R. Walker Nickless held a news conference in Sioux City Monday afternoon.
The bishop says he hopes publishing the list marks a new beginning for the diocese.
Twenty-two of the 28 priests on the list have died. The remaining six men named on the list are no longer priests and only one is living in Iowa. Father Brad Pelzel, the vicar general of the Sioux City Diocese, says under current practice, any accusation against a priest is immediately turned over to local law enforcement for investigation.
Staff and volunteers in the diocese now undergo extensive background checks, according to Pelzel. A seven-member review board investigated allegations against priests in the Sioux City Diocese dating back to 1902, when the diocese was founded. Storm Lake Police Chief Mark Prosser served on the review board.
Prosser says many of the priests on the list were never formally charged, but the evidence was deemed credible that they had committed acts of abuse.
The police chief says the accusations against the 28 priests came from 107 victims.
A summit at the Vatican that concluded this weekend focused on the sexual misconduct of Catholic clergy. Pope Francis has promised guidelines to prevent abuse and punish perpetrators will be reviewed and strengthened.
In our four-county area of Lyon, Sioux, O’Brien and Osceola Counties, priests on the “Credibly Accused” list have served parishes in Granville, Alvord, Rock Rapids, Sanborn, Sutherland, Alton, Sibley, Ashton and Rock Valley, along with Spalding High School in Granville. It should be noted, however, that the parishes in which allegations of abuse occurred are not specified, this is simply a list of where these priests served over the course of their careers.
To view the Sioux City Diocese complete list of “Credibly Accused” priests, CLICK HERE.
