AG’s Office announces investigation of Archdiocese of St. Louis
The Missouri Attorney General’s Office launched a review of the Archdiocese of St. Louis regarding allegations of sexual abuse by clergy members Thursday afternoon. The Archdiocese had already agreed to cooperate with the investigation.
“Victims of sexual abuse of any kind deserve to have their voices heard, and Missourians deserve to know if this misconduct has occurred in their communities,” said Attorney General Josh Hawley in a press release. “By inviting this independent review, the Archdiocese is demonstrating a willingness to be transparent and expose any potential wrongdoing.”
According to a letter from the Archbishop of St. Louis Robert Carlson, an FBI member found the Archdiocese’s protocol on child protection and vulnerable individuals to be “appropriate and robust.”
Hawley’s office will assemble a team of attorneys and prosecutors who will interview potential witnesses and victims of alleged abuse.
The St. Louis Archdiocese is not the only Missouri diocese willing to cooperate with an investigation. The Diocese of Jefferson City also invited Hawley to review files.
“As Bishop McKnight has already communicated to the people of his Diocese, he is committed to transparency, healing and finding new means to address this horrible issue,” said Heather Osman of the Diocese of Jefferson City.
