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Not enough evidence to prosecute Greensburg diocese priest accused of abuse, DA says

GREENSBURG, Pa. — A priest in the Catholic Diocese of Greensburg will not be charged after being accused of sexual assault, prosecutors say.

Rev. Joseph Bonafed has been suspended from active ministry since August after the diocese said a credible allegation of abuse was reported to the district attorney’s office, but Thursday investigators said they won’t be prosecuting the case against Bonafed.

In a statement released Thursday morning about the district attorney's decision, a diocese spokesperson said:

"Now that the District Attorney has completed his investigation, the Diocese will follow the next phase of its policy, which is examining the allegation in relation to church law. This is called a canonical investigation, which has already begun. We expect it to be completed quickly."

Bonafed was serving at St. Edward parish in Herminie and Holy Family parish in West Newton most recently until he was put on leave.

The allegation stemmed from a ChildLine report by the victim’s mother saying a single incident of inappropriate contact happened between 1991-1992.

The district attorney said prosecutors felt like they could not get a conviction if they pursued the case and said in a statement:

"...the alleged offense was barred by the statute of limitations ... which required that a criminal complaint be filed within 2 years of the victim's 18th birthday or before 2002."

Investigators said the victim was the only witness and the person's memory was inconsistent and unclear.

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