Nearly 1,700 Priests ‘Credibly Accused’ of Abuse Living With No Oversight: AP

Nearly 1,700 priests and other clergy members of the Roman Catholic Church who have been credibly accused of child sexual abuse are living with little to no oversight from religious authorities or law enforcement, according to an AP investigation. Dozens of priests have committed crimes since leaving the church, including sexual assault and possessing child pornography, the AP reports. Hundreds of priests were found to still be working with children, 160 continued working or volunteering in churches, and about 190 obtained professional licenses to work in education, medicine, social work, and counseling. The AP reports that 76 still had valid credentials in those fields as of August. Each diocese determines the threshold for a priest to be determined as “credibly accused,” with allegations ranging from inappropriate conversations to rape.