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If you were sexually abused as a child by a priest, deacon or any other member of the Catholic Church, you are not alone. We are here to help you. Please fill out our confidential online contact form or call Toll Free 1-866-777-2557 and a Michigan Sexual Abuse Lawyer will get back to you within 24 hours to discuss your possible case. Help is available nationwide. There is no cost to investigate and there are no legal fees unless you receive financial compensation. Making the call is sometimes the hardest step, but it is often a necessary step on the road to healing. Catholic Church Sexual Abuse Lawyer Michigan
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Michigan AG seizes Catholic dioceses' records in sex abuse investigation
In the wake of revelations about the wide scale of child sex abuse in the church, Catholic dioceses should act proactively to find out the truth. They can do so by releasing lists of priests who have been credibly accused of abuse, asking other victims to come forward, having an investigative firm conduct a review of their files, and removing from office any clergy member who participated in covering up information about predator priests. Although some dioceses have taken these steps, church officials do not always act so decisively. In those cases, legal authorities can step in to find the truth.
Michigan Catholic Church Sexual Abuse Lawyer
That’s what is occurring in Michigan, where the office of attorney general Bill Schuette served search warrants to the Archdiocese of Detroit, and dioceses in Gaylord, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Lansing, Marquette and Saginaw. The AG’s office says the goal is to “find out who knew what, and when” by reviewing files that pertain to clergy misconduct. Religious officials say they are cooperating with the investigation and welcome the search for truth.
Catholic Church Sexual Abuse Lawyer Michigan
This burst of activity by the AG comes in the wake of a shocking 1500-page grand jury report detailing rape and molestation of over 1,000 victims in Pennsylvania. The document, based on victim testimony and internal documents, presents credible accusations against 301 priests, and shows that when their crimes came to light, other officials shuffled them around to other parishes and dioceses instead of reporting them to law enforcement or removing them from a position of power.
Michigan Catholic Church Sexual Abuse Lawyer
Investigative reports from other areas make clear that this same pattern exists throughout the country, although it has typically not been investigated as thoroughly as was the case in Pennsylvania. Thus many other state’s attorney generals’ offices have initiated investigations of their own, or sought to begin work on a similar grand jury report. Such a task involves gaining access to church documents, as happened in Michigan.
Catholic Church Sexual Abuse Lawyer Michigan
As of October 2018, 13 states had initiated or were about to begin investigations into Catholic sexual abuse. NBC reports that In addition to Florida, authorities in Arkansas, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York and Vermont were investigating alleged sexual abuse linked to the church.
Victims and their advocates can hope that a similar reckoning will eventually take place in all 50 states. Only then will all survivors have a fair chance at justice, and the public begin to feel assured that predators and their enablers have been exposed.
Michigan Catholic Church Sexual Abuse Lawyer
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