Attorney general responds to criticism of Catholic abuse report
The Missouri Attorney General’s Office responded to criticism of its recent investigation, which resulted in the referral of a dozen former clergy members for potential criminal prosecution.
The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests claimed the AG’s report fell short of substantive recommendations to the state Legislature, failed to adequately prosecute those responsible for covering up abuse and omitted key details and testimony.
“Schmitt held no public hearings, announced no deadlines, gave no preliminary report, set up no real hotline, disclosed virtually nothing for nearly a year and – as best we can tell – consulted no experts, including several former Missouri church insiders-turned-whistleblowers,” said SNAP representative Judy Jones.
A spokesperson for the AG’s office released the statement below Wednesday afternoon.
“Victims have a right to be angry over the actions of the Catholic Church and the Church’s wide reaching cover up – in many instances it has completely and totally upended their lives. We were both humbled by victims’ bravery in coming forward and deeply saddened by the stories of abuse and cover-up we heard. The Attorney General’s Office sought to do a thorough, victim-centric, and independent investigation of allegations of abuse in the Roman Catholic Church. We went beyond our original mandate in this investigation, and we believe that is reflected in the report. The Attorney General’s Office is moving forward with referring 12 former priests and clergy members for potential criminal prosecution, and we stand ready to aid in those prosecutions, but we are open to receiving any additional information relating to the investigation, and we still encourage victims to come forward through our hotline, which will remain open.” – Chris Nuelle, spokesperson for the Missouri Attorney General’s office
The full report from the attorney general’s office can be viewed by following this link.
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