March 4 (UPI) -- The Rhode Island Attorney General's Office released its first report Wednesday on decades of sexual abuse committed by members of the Catholic Church clergy.
The yearslong investigation by the office identified 75 members of the clergy, including 61 priests and deacons, that it said have been credibly accused of sexual misconduct against a child.
The investigation, which began in July 2019, included interviews with nearly 150 victims. The state police and Attorney General's Office attempted to contact more than 300 victims. The office also obtained records voluntarily produced by the Diocese of Providence, R.I.
Attorney General Peter Neronha wrote in his foreword that Rhode Island has the largest population of Catholics per capita. More than 39% of Rhode Islanders identify as Catholic.
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