Trial Against Fr. Scott Kallal Ends in Hung Jury
A Kansas priest who was accused of abusing a teen-aged girl had his trial end today in a hung jury. We hope that prosecutors will try this case again and continue working to keep children in Kansas safe from abuse.
The charges against Fr. Scott Kallal stemmed from abuse allegations from one girl, but during the trial at least two other girls testified. The family in this case is willing to go forward with another trial and we hope that Kansas City prosecutors will follow their lead and prosecute the case a second time. We applaud the bravery of this young woman and her family and are grateful for their efforts to protect others in their parish community.
Now more than ever it is critical that victims, witnesses, and whistle-blowers come forward to law enforcement officials and report any information or suspicions. We also hope that church officials in Kansas City, KS, will take steps to urge with their flock to share what they know with police and prosecutors.
CONTACT: Zach Hiner, Executive Director ([email protected], 517-974-9009)
(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 30 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)