Abuse survivors push Missouri governor for ‘real investigation’ of Catholic priests

JEFFERSON CITY (MO)
The Kansas City Star

September 26, 2018

By Judy L. Thomas and Jason Hancock

Survivors of priest sex abuse on Wednesday called on Missouri Gov. Mike Parson to give Attorney General Josh Hawley subpoena power in his investigation into possible clergy sex abuse and cover-ups in the Roman Catholic Church.

Members of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests gathered outside the Capitol with a letter imploring the governor to authorize Hawley to conduct a grand jury-style investigation into the issue. Two Kansas City-area SNAP supporters delivered the document to Parson’s office prior to the group’s news conference.

“As a former law enforcement official, (Gov. Parson) surely understands the difference between a real investigation and an inadequate investigation,” said former SNAP director David Clohessy. “We’re asking him to essentially order the attorney general to do this probe and to do it right.”

Without subpoena power, Clohessy said, Hawley has no idea whether the dioceses will provide all pertinent church records.

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