Survivors of clergy abuse and advocates expect AG Ferguson’s civil investigation to result in criminal charges against Washington State bishops
Ferguson must obtain all Vatican documents and evidence pertaining to clergy abuse and cover-up in Washington State
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MAY 9, 2024
CONTACT:
Tim Law
Catholic Accountability Project Founding Member
Ending Clergy Abuse (ECA) Board Member
206-412-0165
timalaw@aol.com
Mary Dispenza
Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) Northwest Director
Catholic Accountability Project Founding Member
425-941-6001
mcdispenza@comcast.net
CAP members Tim Law and Mary Dispenza will be in attendance at Attorney General Ferguson's press conference in Seattle this morning and available for comment.
The Catholic Accountability Project (CAP) welcomes the Attorney General’s announcement of the commencement of a civil investigation into clergy sexual abuse and cover-up within the three dioceses of Washington state. The group expects that Ferguson’s investigation will extend to Catholic religious orders.
Survivors of clergy abuse and advocates have long called for such an investigation as an essential step towards achieving justice and accountability for victims who have suffered immeasurable harm at the hands of members of the clergy and bishops who concealed their crimes.
In February, CAP announced that Attorney General Bob Ferguson had taken the action of serving subpoenas upon the three bishops of the three dioceses in Washington State last August. Ferguson has now joined 23 other state attorneys general, both Democrats and Republicans, in investigating sexual abuse in faith-based organizations.
CAP expects that Ferguson’s investigation will meet the following demands of abuse survivors:
To establish a confidential hotline and online reporting system, as has been done in other statewide investigations. This would provide a secure platform for victims, witnesses, and whistleblowers to expose abuse and cover-up within faith-based organizations
To compel the production of all abuse-related documents and evidence from dioceses, religious orders, and the Vatican, as well as testimony from Catholic leaders, past and present, in Washington State
To pursue, in cooperation with local district attorneys, criminal prosecutions of both abusive clergy and church officials who covered up abuse based on evidence uncovered in the course of his investigation
To issue a comprehensive final report to the citizens of Washington State, detailing the Attorney General's findings
As the investigation progresses, CAP calls for transparency and accountability at every stage of the process. Survivors and advocates expect that Ferguson will share what documents and evidence, if any, his office has received from Archbishop Étienne of Seattle, Bishop Tyson of Yakima, and Bishop Daly of Spokane.
Furthermore, the Office of the Attorney General must pursue a diplomatic process with US Ambassador to the Holy See Joe Donnelly to obtain the abuse-related documents and evidence in possession of the Vatican archives. Per Catholic Church law, all abuse cases and related documents and evidence are required to be shared with the Vatican. Under the direction of Pope Francis, the Vatican is obligated to share this evidence with law enforcement investigations.
CAP members met with Ambassador Donnelly last October to discuss his facilitation of this process.
Finally, Attorney General Ferguson must endorse a clergy mandatory reporting bill that unequivocally abolishes privileges afforded to clergy, ensuring that they are held accountable and required to report child abuse and neglect like other professionals.
CAP is urging victims, concerned Catholics, and whistleblowers to report their abuse, and share their experiences and concerns, as well as any other relevant documents and evidence.
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