North Carolina Priest Abuse Suit Moves Forward

A North Carolina judge is allowing some claims in a lawsuit against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte to move forward.

The Charlotte Observer reported that the lawsuit alleges that church officials covered up the sex crimes of the Rev. Robert Yurgel, who pleaded guilty to a sex offense in February. He was sentenced to at least seven years in prison. The victim was an alter boy at St. Matthew Catholic Church in Charlotte in the 1990s when the abuse occurred.

The Charlotte Diocese denies that officials knew of abuse allegations until Yurgel was arrested last year. They had sought dismissal of the lawsuit by the victim.

Mecklenburg Superior Court Judge David Lee has dismissed some claims but is allowing claims of fraud, civil conspiracy and breach of fiduciary duty to move forward.