Michigan’s clergy abuse probe identifies 454 accused priests, 811 victims

October 23, 2020

LANSING, MI – A two-year investigation into sexual abuse in Michigan’s Catholic churches has, so far, identified 454 accused priests and 811 victims, and led to charges against 11 clergymen.

Of the 11 charged, two have been convicted thus far. Their sentences were for 60 and 45 days in jail.

“We are committed to ensuring that every case of sexual abuse and assault is thoroughly reviewed and that whenever we are able to pursue justice for a victim, we do so aggressively and relentlessly,” said Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. “We must all commit to breaking down the walls of silence that so often surround sexual assault and abuse. In the end, we hope this investigation provides a voice to those who have suffered in silence for so long and shines a light on those offenders who have escaped punishment for their crimes by hiding in shadows.”

Authorities executed search warrants in October 2018 on all seven of Michigan’s Catholic dioceses. Two-hundred and twenty boxes of paper documents and more than 3.5 million digital documents were seized for review by the Michigan Attorney General’s Office’s Clergy Abuse Investigative Team.

A review of 65% of the paper documents identified 454 accused priests and 811 reported victims; victims and accused clergymen were found in all seven dioceses with the most of both being in Grand Rapids and the least being in Kalamazoo, according to the investigation report released earlier this month. There are another 78 boxes - all related to the Diocese of Saginaw and the Archdiocese of Detroit - to review.

In addition, the state’s clergy abuse tip line (1-844-324-3374) has generated 750 tips that uncovered an additional 435 victims and 316 accused priests leading to 112 police investigations, 180 victim interviews and 285 police reports.

Investigators have also reviewed 2.24 million, or 64%, of the digital documents as of late September, according to the report. The number of victims and suspected priests identified through digital document review cannot yet be determined, the report said. The totals will be available when the investigation is complete. The team is expected to finish the document review in 2021.

With court operations slowed amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the last case resolved was in November 2019. Nine cases are pending. However, the taskforce continues to review documents and take other steps in the investigation.

The team completed its review of paper and electronic documents from the Gaylord, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo and Marquette dioceses. All paper documents from the Lansing dioceses have also been reviewed.

The AG’s office hired a full-time victim advocate and continues to follow up with victims, including those whose cases are impossible to prosecute due to the Statute of Limitations, the death of the accused, or any other reason.

Here are the 11 cases related to the state’s clergy abuse investig...

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Showing 2 comments

Armando Hernandez commented 2020-10-24 00:01:25 -0500
It doesn’t stop. The church is so wounded. It’s really a case now of not knowing the good priests from the bad ones. Saw the movie ‘spotlight’ again. It made me join SNAP. I am a survivor. I still have my faith, but it’s not in the church. My faith is in the Lord Jesus Christ, cruxified and raised from the dead and assended. I think of myself as a Christian more than a catholic. 454 accused priests. Amazing. It’s like a cancer now that has spread throughout the priesthood. I still go to church and receive the Holy Eucharist, but the litergy is so borning, so lifeless, so bland, so dull. So much was taken away by Vacatin ll. Now the Pope has come out for same-sex unions. It’s all going downhill. The shepards are wolfs in sheep clothing. Just stay focused on the Sacred Heart of Jesus, The Blessed Mother and all the saints of old, especially the early church fathers. The Blessed Mother said this was happening at Fatima in the third secret. The great Roman Catholic Church has become corrupted. If I was a young man I would place my trust in the Orthodox Eastern Church. I have not heard anything bad about the Eastern Orthodox Church. In fact, I study scripture from an Eastern Orthodox study bible. They seem to have held steady through the modern age. I am glad to have joined this organization. I look forward to learning more from you and keeping up to date on what’s going on. I have witnessed very few real men in the priesthood for a long time now. For me, it’s about keeping my faith, prayer, the study of scripture and the church fathers, both east and west, and the Eucharist. “Do this in rememberance of me”. The faith will survive, the Roman Catholic church has lost its moral standing.
Zach Hiner published this page in News Story of the Day 2020-10-23 10:44:21 -0500

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