Michigan AG Reports 51 Priests Accused of Abuse in Grand Rapids Diocese
Michigan AG Reports 51 Priests Accused of Abuse in Grand Rapids Diocese
A 300-page report released by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel Monday details accusations of sexual misconduct against both adults and children by Catholic clergy in the Grand Rapids area since 1950.
Of the 51 priests accused, 37 have died, and none of the remaining 14 is active in ministry in the diocese, said the attorney general’s office and the Catholic Diocese of Grand Rapids.
The report is the fifth in a seven-part series on allegations of abuse in each of the six Catholic dioceses in Michigan and the Archdiocese of Detroit.
Statewide, 11 cases of abuse by priests documented in the reports released so far have been charged criminally.
Nessel said none of the allegations from the Diocese of Grand Rapids have resulted in a prosecution, typically because the statute of limitations has expired, the person accused has died, the victim has declined to pursue litigation, or prosecutors don’t believe the evidence available would lead to a successful prosecution.
Nessel said despite …