{"articles":[{"id":8296,"title":"Should State Attorneys General Investigate Potential Catholic Church Abuses?","html_content":"\n

by Causes | 8.28.18

What’s the story?

Law enforcement officials from across the country are considering how to investigate potential abuse cases by the Catholic Church.
States have been pressured to act following the mid-August release of a searing Pennsylvania grand jury report, which identified over 300 priests who committed sexual abuse on more than 1,000 children.
The report revealed a \"systematic coverup by senior church officials in Pennsylvania and at the Vatican\" over 70 years, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro told the Washington Post.
Now, survivors of sexual abuse by priests are saying the Pennsylvania grand jury investigation should represent only the beginning of the justice process.

“Pennsylvania and the attorney general there had the courage to take on a very powerful institution,” said Tim Lennon, who heads the board of directors at the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. “Any time there’s been an investigation, we find similar kinds of systematic coverup, systematic moving around priests to hide.”

SNAP tweeted:

How are states responding?

As The Hill explained, “few states have as much power to compel church officials to cooperate or open their secret files as Pennsylvania, where state law allowed” the AG to convene a grand jury to investigate. But here are some of the actions states are taking:

In Missouri, the Archdiocese of St. Louis and the Diocese of Kansas City have agreed to voluntarily open church records to investigators working on behalf of AG Josh Hawley (R).
\nIllinois AG Lisa Madigan (D) plans to meet with the Chicago Archdiocese in coming days as part of an investigation into priests identified in the Pennsylvania report who, following abuse accusations, had been relocated to Illinois.
\nKentucky AG Andy Beshear’s (D) office is “looking to see what statutory tools we might have to address any similar issues” to those in Pennsylvania.
\nFlorida AG Pam Bondi (R) said “her state’s 20 elected state attorneys have jurisdiction over any potential investigation within their districts,” as reported by The Hill.
AGs in South Carolina and Nebraska stated their offices lack the authority to investigate abuse claims within the Catholic Church.
\nNew York AG Barbara Underwood (D) has contacted district attorneys to begin an investigation into potential abuse.

“The horrific findings in Pennsylvania show the need for a similar investigation in New York State. We owe it to past victims and current victims to fully investigate sexual abuse crimes,” said Albany County District Attorney David Soares, who heads the District Attorneys Association of New York.

What do you think?

As The Hill noted, “the power of individual attorneys general varies widely throughout the country, and Congress has shown little interest in getting involved.” Do you want Congress to get involved? Do you want your AG to do what they can to investigate potential abuse by the Church? Hit Take Action and tell your reps, then share your thoughts below.

—Josh Herman

(Photo Credit: @SNAPNetwork via Twitter)

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