AG Nessel announced the release of a report (PDF) by the Department of Attorney General concerning allegations of sexual abuse and other sexual misconduct that took place in the Diocese of Grand Rapids.

The report was released to acknowledge the reports of abuse from victims and to report the Department’s findings. The document is a compilation of excerpts from the information obtained from the tip line, victim interviews, police investigations, open-source media, paper documents seized from the Diocese of Grand Rapids, and the electronic documents found on the diocesan computers, as well as reports of allegations disclosed by the Diocese. 

The list of priests for which there were allegations of sexual misconduct against either children or adults since January 1, 1950, for the Diocese of Grand Rapids that was established in 1882, is derived from information gleaned from a search warrant that was executed against the Diocese of Grand Rapids on October 3, 2018, and from the tipline operated by the Department of Attorney General since 2018. There are 51 entries on this list, and of these 51 priests, 38 were ordained or incardinated by the Diocese of Grand Rapids.

“Accountability does not end with criminal prosecution. 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.” – AG Nessel