She Says

In Episode 4 of "The List," we explore what might happen when the Catholic Diocese of Charlotte releases a list of clergy members credibly accused of sexual misconduct and abuse. The diocese says it plans to release names by the end of 2019. We hear from an advocate with personal experience who's there to listen to other survivors of abuse and from North Carolina's attorney general. And we hear how the crisis has shaped survivors' views on not just the Catholic Church but faith in general.

In this episode of "The List," we learn about why survivors of abuse in the Catholic Church and proponents of accountability push for the release of lists of credibly accused clergy. We also hear some theories as to why certain people might push back against the release of such lists. And we hear from a local deacon about why he thinks the church should talk about the crisis openly. There's another why we learn about, too — why some people in power abuse children in the first place.

WFAE’s “The List” is a four-part series about the impact of the sexual abuse crisis in the Catholic Church, the push for dioceses to release lists of credibly accused clergy. The Diocese of Charlotte is one of about 30 dioceses in the United States that, as of Dec. 1, 2019, hasn’t published such a list.

Bishop Peter Jugis of the Charlotte Catholic Diocese announced in May that the diocese is committed to releasing by the end of 2019 a list of clergy who are credibly accused of sexual abuse involving minors. That list and what it represents is the subject of this four-part series.

Linda has been waiting for months to hear from the Mecklenburg District Attorney's office about whether her case will move forward. Then she gets a call. We rejoin Linda on the winding road for an update and a closer look at the burden of proof.

Last Thursday, WFAE held a Public Conversation with She Says podcast host Sarah Delia, law enforcement and others about whether justice is being served in Mecklenburg County.

For more than a year, WFAE’s Sarah Delia has been speaking to a woman we’re calling Linda. Linda was sexually assaulted in Charlotte over three years ago in June of 2015. When Linda began speaking to Delia, she didn’t have many answers around the progress of her case. But over the course of WFAE’s investigation, there have been major developments. Linda's story and our findings turned into the podcast, She Says . Today marks the final installment of She Says , but our reporting on Linda's...

Linda goes back to court and comes face to face with the man charged in her assault as she attempts to get a no-contact order. We hear how the podcast has impacted her life and what the future of her case looks like. Stay with us through the very end of the episode to hear a message from two familiar voices.

This episode we share with you what we haven’t told you. Additional evidence in Linda’s case. Why we think this mysterious DNA hit occurred. And we find out how many hospitals in North Carolina have nurses specially trained to complete a sexual assault examination.

In this episode, we hear from Linda’s family about how life has changed for everyone since the assault in 2015. We also tell the story of another Charlotte woman who tried to file a police report but was turned away.

The man charged with assaulting Linda made bail and is out of jail. She’s scared because she’s no longer anonymous after he saw her during a court appearance. She Says talks to another sexual assault survivor in Charlotte who had a very different experience.

Last episode we asked listeners: What questions do you have about Linda’s case and our yearlong investigation? So now She Says host and reporter Sarah Delia and reporter Alex Olgin tackle your questions about police policy, DNA law, and more.

In episode 5, we hear about what happens with the DNA sample police collected of the man Linda identified as her attacker through an internet search. We will also take a look at how another police department handled the destruction of more than 300 sexual assault kits.

In episode 4, we dive into what happened with the mysterious DNA sample that matches the one found in Linda’s sexual assault kit, and why detectives didn’t know about it for months. Linda expresses her concern that her questioning of police will lead to her case being ignored.

In episode 3, Linda goes down to Charlotte Mecklenburg Police headquarters to talk to detectives about her case. It’s a particularly emotional conversation because she learns about the DNA results from her sexual assault kit. They aren’t what she expected.

In episode 2, we go back to the crime scene, which in this case is the body.

Thursday, May 31, 2018

WFAE’s She Says is an investigative podcast series that follows the story of a sexual assault survivor in Mecklenburg County, N.C., and the long and difficult process of finding justice.

For more than a year, award-winning WFAE reporter Sarah Delia has investigated the case of "Linda," a Charlotte-area woman who was sexually assaulted by a stranger in 2015 and is still struggling to find answers.