Attorney general calls review of clergy/faith leader abuse

Attorney General Josh Kaul announced on April 27 a statewide initiative, led by the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ), with support from district attorneys, survivor groups, and crime victim services professionals, which will review reports of clergy and faith leader abuse in Wisconsin.

Survivors, their friends and family, or anyone who has information about the church’s response to abuse are encouraged to report clergy and faith leader abuse online at SupportSurvivors.widoj.gov or by calling 1-877-222-2620.

“The people of Wisconsin, and especially victims, deserve an independent review of clergy and faith leader abuse,” said Attorney General Kaul. “With this initiative, we are seeking to ensure that survivors of clergy and faith leader abuse have access to needed victim services, to help prevent future cases of sexual assault, and to get accountability to the extent possible.”

“Survivors are grateful to the Attorney General for his commitment to pursue justice for victims of clergy abuse and tell the truth about the full extent and impact of abuse and institutional concealment in Wisconsin’s faith-based organizations. This initiative is the result of many decades of survivors courageously coming forward to tell their stories,” said Peter Isely, Program Director of Nate’s Mission, and founding member of Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests (SNAP).

This initiative will include an independent and thorough review of sexual abuse committed by clergy and faith leaders in Wisconsin, no matter when that abuse occurred.

Through this initiative, DOJ will provide survivors of clergy and faith leader abuse with a safe and confidential means to obtain support from DOJ’s Office of Crime Victim Services and referrals to available services.

The initiative also will provide a confidential means for: -- survivors to report sexual abuse by clergy and faith leaders; -- others who have witnessed, know about, or suspect such abuse to report it; and -- people to report what they know about the response to or concealment of abuse by clergy and faith leaders.

DOJ will gather information directly from survivors and their family, friends, and advocates through the contact number identified above and an online submission form at the website identified above. DOJ also hopes to receive documents and information from dioceses and religious orders in Wisconsin.

DOJ has recently been in contact with the five Catholic dioceses in Wisconsin, as well as several religious orders with priests in Wisconsin, in order to inform them of this review and to discuss next steps.

In response to Kaul’s announcement, the La Crosse Diocese released the following statement: “On Monday, April 26, 2021, representatives from the Diocese of La Crosse, along with representatives from the other four Dioceses and leaders of religious orders of the State, participated in a meeting led by Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul. The Attorney General announced that his office is beginning a statewide investigation into all previous cases of clergy and faith leaders’ sexual abuse. It is important to note that in his request of documents, Mr. Kaul is referencing a review of historical cases and not any new reports or allegations.

“In the Diocese of La Crosse we take the issue of sexual abuse of minors seriously. In order to bring healing and reinforce our commitment to the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, the Diocese of La Crosse has proactively taken significant steps to ensure accountability in the processes established to review allegations of abuse of minors by clergy in the Diocese. Through the Protect and Heal initiative of the Diocese of La Crosse, procedures for the reporting and investigation of complaints of sexual abuse of minors by clergy were re-written, ensuring independence in the process. The Independent Review Board was reorganized to allow for a greater involvement of the laity. A comprehensive review of all clergy files was completed in 2019 by an independent firm. Then in January 2020, Bishop William Patrick Callahan, in his commitment to truth and transparency, released to the public the names and ministry details of clergy with confirmed allegations of child sexual abuse. The list is actively updated if any new information is received, independently investigated and substantiated.

“We believe that the education, training, prevention and investigation policies and procedures that have been put into place over the past years in the Diocese of La Crosse have dramatically improved the protection of children entrusted into our care. Outreach and opportunities of healing for survivors of abuse are growing through pastoral initiatives and support within the local Church.

The Diocese of La Crosse will examine the letter of requests from the Attorney General when it is received. At that time, the Diocese of La Crosse will assess the statutory authority for the requests, as well as other considerations, like the confidentiality rights of those survivors of abuse whose privacy interests could be impaired by a release of sensitive information to a public agency.