LONDON, ONT. -- The Catholic Diocese of London has responded to a list of sexual abusers released by a survivor's organization by admitting there are even more clergy facing abuse allegations.
SNAP SW Ontario, a network of survivors of institutional sexual abuse and their supporters, released the list of 36 Roman Catholic priests in London who have been "credibly accused" and were charged, convicted or sued, on Wednesday.
In a statement released Friday the diocese says, "As we review the list published by SNAP, we can confirm that it appears to be substantially correct. We cannot confirm its accuracy in its entirety."
It goes on to say that there are four additional priests who are facing allegations involving minors, though none of them continue to work in the diocese or in the church. No names are included.
The SNAP list covers a more than 50-year period starting in 1952, but only includes those whose offences involved minors. Of those named, only nine are still alive.
The diocese says it will continue to work with survivors to respond to their needs, but has also waived confidentiality for all its settlements, to allow survivors to decide for themselves whether or not to speak out.
