The Catholic Diocese of Richmond has added four names to its list of clergy against whom a credible and substantiated claim of sexual abuse involving a minor has been made.
The added are Robert D. Beattie, Leo Creamer and Patrick F. Quinn, all deceased, and Joseph Slowik, who is suspended and inactive in ministry since 2006. All are priests of the Diocese of Richmond, but Creamer was later incardinated in the Diocese of Arlington.
The allegations brought forward by the victim survivors date back decades. The names were added after allegations, of which civil authorities were notified, were received and a review was completed in consultation with the diocesan Office of Safe Environment and the Diocesan Review Board. The additional names, along with assignment histories and status, can be found on the Richmond Diocese website: https://richmonddiocese.org/list/.
In keeping with its pledge to help victim survivors in their healing, the Catholic Diocese of Richmond remains committed to protecting the privacy of all victim survivors. As with the diocese’s previous announcements regarding its list, which was first publicized in 2019, the diocese will not release specific details regarding the abuses out of respect for the privacy of victim survivors.
The Diocese of Richmond urges individuals who have been sexually abused by a priest, deacon, religious, lay employee or volunteer of the diocese to report abuse directly to law enforcement, including Child Protective Services (CPS) at 800-552-7096, and by calling the Virginia Attorney General’s Clergy Abuse Hotline at 833-454-9064.
Individuals are also encouraged to contact the 24-hour confidential Victim Assistance Reporting (VAC) number at 877-887-9603 or email [email protected] to report sexual abuse.