FF12: Kansas says no to call for special priest abuse investigations

KWCH12
August 21, 2018

http://www.kwch.com/content/news/Priest-abuse-victims-demand-Kansas-Missouri-investigation-491392951.html

Kansas has now joined Missouri in saying the state Attorney General's Office will not launch grand jury investigations into abuse within the Catholic Church. It was a grand jury report that revealed more than 300 priests in Pennsylvania abused more than 1,000 children.

The call to do so came from four victims of abuse from Kansas and Missouri along with their Kansas City attorney, Rebecca Randles.

"I'm now 62 years old and I still live with the pain of what happened to me when I was in grade school," Tim Viviano said, getting emotional, at a news conference Monday recounting what happened to him years ago.

Another victim, Scott Goodloe, said, "As we’ve seen today with the events in Pennsylvania, there is a need for accountability and true reconciliation within the church."

Randles and the men called upon both states' attorney generals to do more and launch a similar investigation to Pennsylvania. Monday, Missouri's Attorney General's Office said no saying that would be out of it's jurisdiction and falls in the scope of local elected prosecutors.

Tuesday, Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt issued a similar statement. First, he encouraged victims to come forward and report any abuse. He said regardless of how long it's been since the crime happened, he encourages victims to make a report.

But he also said victims should be reporting their crimes to local law enforcement. He said his office can assist local agencies when asked, but like Missouri, did not agree to an investigation.