The Michigan Attorney General has determined that a full and complete investigation of what happened within the Catholic Church is required.
This investigation is and will continue to be independent, thorough, transparent, and prompt.
My department and this investigation will find out who knew what, and when.
The information is being released to the public as an acknowledgment to the victims of these alleged crimes and as a public accounting of the resources allocated to the Department of Attorney General to investigate and prosecute clergy abuse.
It is important to note that a criminal charge is merely an allegation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. It is also important to note that the inclusion in this report does not reflect a determination by the Department that the allegations are credible or otherwise substantiated or indicative of a crime.
Each report was released to acknowledge the reports of abuse from victims and to report the Department’s findings. The document is a compilation of excerpts from the information obtained from the tip line, victim interviews, police investigations, open-source media, paper documents seized from each Diocese in Michigan, and the electronic documents found on the diocesan computers, as well as reports of allegations disclosed by the Diocese.
Each Diocese agreed to provide reports of abuse to the Department of Attorney General. Victims often reach out to their faith leaders to share stories of alleged abuse. The willingness of the Dioceses to provide information was instrumental in the compilation of each report.
