Charlotte North Carolina Diocese Reviewing Sexual Assault Cases

The North Carolina Diocese of Charlotte has begun a review of its personnel files — some 100,000 pages — in an effort to identify and adjudicate reports of childhood sexual abuse by Diocesan clergy. The Charlotte Diocese comprises 46 counties located in Western North Carolina. According to the Diocese’s vicar general and chancellor, Reverend Patrick Winslow, the review will date back to before 2002 and will be conducted with a “zero tolerance” view of accusations that are deemed “credible.” For this purpose, “credible” means that an accusation “has the semblance of truth” and is “more probable than not.” It’s unclear what individuals will be making such determinations and what the process will be.

Undoubtedly there are many cases of childhood sexual abuse by priests that have not yet been reported. Whether or not the review will include new reports of childhood abuse — regardless of when the abuse occurred — has not been addressed. Moreover, it remains unclear how North Carolina’s recently enacted law that provides a 2 year “revival window” — beginning January 1, 2020 — for victims to bring otherwise time–barred civil claims for monetary damages will affect this review process, the Charlotte Diocese and the other Dioceses in North Carolina. In similar situations nationwide, Dioceses have established independent compensation programs that provide financial compensation to survivors of childhood sexual abuse perpetrated by clergy.