(WWJ) - Almost 30 priests from the Diocese of Gaylord have been listed by the Michigan Attorney General in relation to allegations of abuse.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced the release of a report “concerning allegations of abuse that took place in the Diocese of Gaylord.”
The document is a information compiled from “the Department of Attorney General tip line, victim interviews, police investigations, open-source media, paper documents seized from the Diocese, and electronic documents found on the Diocesan computers, as well as reports of allegations disclosed by the Diocese,” the AG’s Office said in a written statement.
The Attorney General’s Office said that while the Diocese was established in 1971, the 28 names on the list date back to Jan. 1, 1950. 26 priests and two deacons were listed, with 18 being ordained or incardinated by the Diocese of Gaylord. The search warrant was issued in 2018, which is also the year the tip line was established by the Department of Attorney General.
“Our promise to the victims was that every case of sexual abuse and assault would be thoroughly reviewed and that the results of the investigation would be transparent,” Nessel said. “I especially want to thank the survivors who have shared their stories, sometimes for the first time after decades of silence. Their willingness to come forward has helped bring attention to an issue that has affected so many in our state and our country, especially children.”
The Diocese agreed to provide the DAG with reports of abuse, which helped with the investigation. “The willingness of the Diocese to provide information was instrumental in the compilation of the report,” the AG’s Office said in the written statement. “The report was shared with the Diocese of Gaylord in advance of being released to the public to ensure accuracy and completeness.”
“As Bishop of the Diocese, let me begin by expressing deep sorrow and shame, especially to the victims and their families,” the Most Reverend Jeffrey Walsh said in a press conference that was tweeted by UpNorthLive News.
Officials said that many of the allegations cannot be prosecuted due to either the statute of limitations, because the accused priest has died or the allegations did not “violate Michigan law or the person who alleged the sexual abuse did not wish to pursue criminal charges.”
“In October 2018, 42 Michigan State Police troopers, five officers from different law enforcement agencies and 15 special agents from the Department of Attorney General executed search warrants at Michigan’s seven dioceses,” the written statement said. “In that effort, they seized 220 boxes of paper documents and more than 3.5 million digital documents.”
Criminal charges were filed in 11 cases, though none were related to the priests named in Gaylord. There were nine convictions, which resulted in justice for a total of 38 survivors so far, officials said.
“We must break down the walls of silence that so often surround sexual assault and abuse,” Nessel said. “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 alleged offenders whose actions allowed them to evade true accountability.”
The Attorney General’s said their clergy abuse tip line generated 1,099 tips related to abuse.
People can contact the tipline at 844-324-3374 or by email. For more information on the Attorney General’s clergy abuse investigation or to submit information, visit the department’s website. Victims of sexual abuse and/or assault in need of additional resources should contact 855-VOICES4 (855-864-2374).