The Catholic Diocese of Richmond in the US state of Virginia announced Tuesday that a person who accused a Catholic priest of child sexual abuse has recanted the allegation. The Diocese of Richmond issued a statement saying that because the person recanted the accusations made against Fr. William Dinga, the retired priest has been exonerated and restored to his previous position and status within the diocese, Associated Press reported. “Just as the diocese strives to remain transparent when child sexual abuse allegations are brought forward, the diocese will also publicly clear the accused of any wrongdoing when an accused is subjected to mistaken or unsupported allegations,” reads the diocese’s statement. The accusations against Dinga focused on 1986, when he served at Norfolk’s Christ the King Catholic Church. Fr. Dinga, who was ordained as a priest in the Diocese of Richmond in 1975, adamantly denied the accusations. In June, the diocese began an investigation after four priests, including Fr. Dinga, were accused of child sexual abuse, according to the Associated Press. The diocese was unable to know the three other three priests’ response to the child sexual abuse allegations, but the former priests were still prohibited from public ministry while the accusations were being investigated, the diocese said at the time.   Image credit: By Martin Kraft - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0