R.I. Catholic Diocese to turn over 70 years of records to attorney general

PROVIDENCE -- Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha has entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence that will provide access to diocesan files and records dating back to 1950 as part of its ongoing review of allegations of clergy child sex abuse.

The review, in conjunction with the Rhode Island State Police, is meant to identify any prosecutable cases and make sure that no credibly accused clergy members are in active ministry, according to a statement from the Attorney General's Office.

"While this voluntary, additional disclosure by the Diocese is an important step forward in our review, much additional work remains," Neronha said in a statement. "We will not hesitate to take any additional steps that may prove necessary to fully determine the scope of misconduct here and take appropriate action."

More to come.

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