US bishop indicted on abuse charges

A bishop was today indicted on child rape charges, becoming the first Roman Catholic prelate indicted in the sex abuse scandal within the American church.

Bishop Thomas Dupre, the former head of the Springfield Diocese in Massachusetts, is accused of abusing two boys in the 1970s, the county prosecutor said.

Dupre, aged 70, resigned in February after nine years as head of the diocese. He quit a day after a newspaper in Springfield confronted him with allegations he abused two boys while he was a parish priest. Dupre cited health reasons for his departure. He retains the title of bishop.

The indictment was announced by District Attorney William Bennett.

There have been at least a dozen grand jury investigations involving how bishops dealt with abuse claims, and four US bishops have resigned after being accused of sexual misconduct.