GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A report of abuse allegations at a diocese includes 51 priests.
Michigan Attorney Dana Nessel on Monday released a report detailing allegations of sexual abuse and other misconducts that took place in the Diocese of Grand Rapids, established in 1882, dating back to Jan. 1, 1950 discovered through victim interviews, police investigations, open-source media, diocese documents seized and includes the names of 51 priests, 38 of which were ordained at the Diocese of Grand Rapids, according to Nessel’s office.
“Accountability does not end with criminal prosecution,” Nessel said. “Accountability includes transparency, acknowledgement and a commitment to believing in and supporting victims. No matter how much time has passed, survivors deserve to be heard, and by releasing these reports, we hope to honor the courage of victims and ensure their experiences are no longer hidden.”
Many of the allegations will not see criminal prosecution either because of the statue of limitations, the accused priest is dead, the conduct did not violate Michigan law or because the victim involved didn’t want to pursue criminal charges.
The report comes after an investigation into seven other Michigan dioceses and October 2018 search warrants where 220 boxes of paper documents and more than 3.5 million digital documents were seized. Nessel’s office has already released reports regarding the Diocese of Gaylord, Diocese of Kalamazoo and the Diocese of Lansing.
So far, criminal charges in 11 cases statewide were filed and nine ended in convictions, delivering justice for 38 survivors. None of those cases were related to accusations at the Diocese of Grand Rapids.
“This report is only possible through the victims who came forward and the dedicated work of the Michigan State Police and members of my office as part of the Clergy Abuse Investigation,” Nessel said. “I am incredibly grateful for their commitment on these difficult cases.”
Nessel’s office noted that the Diocese of Grand Rapids willingly agreed to provide reports of abuse to the Department of the Attorney General and their cooperation was “instrumental” to the report.
For Grand Rapids, Nessel’s investigation resulted in 105 tips from their tip line and 27 of those were directly from the Diocese of Grand Rapids.
Information can be shared via the investigation hotline at 844-324-3374.
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.
