Michigan AG Releases Report on Sexual Abuse in Saginaw Catholic Diocese

On June 25, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel released a 258-page report titled Diocese of Saginaw: A Complete Accounting (full text). It is the sixth of what will be seven reports on allegations of sexual abuse or assault and other sexual misconduct by priests or deacons in each of Michigan's seven dioceses. Last week's report contains information on complaints against 37 Catholic priests and one deacon in the Saginaw diocese. The Attorney General says:

To date, eleven cases have been brought by the Department of Attorney General for all seven dioceses.  Nine have resolved with convictions.  Of these eleven cases, none of them related to priests ministering in the Diocese of Saginaw.

Bishop Robert Guss responded to the Report through a posting on the Diocese's website that says in part:

• For the 37 priests and one deacon, 30 are known or presumed to be dead. For the 8 who are living or presumed to be living, none are in active ministry.
• For the 37 priests and one deacon, other than a few entries, the conduct as alleged that may have violated Michigan criminal law all occurred before 2002, the year of the U.S. Bishops’ Charter.
• The vast majority of reported abuse cases in our diocese are very old, with most occurring in the 1970s and 1980s.

He also held a news conference and issued a letter responding to the Report and saying in part:

I want to express my deepest sorrows to those who have been victims of abuse by members of the clergy. Please accept my sincere apology for the pain and suffering you have experienced by those who were entrusted with your care. I'm deep]y saddened by it all. And, again, I apologize to you on behalf of the Church and our Diocese.

The Abuse Survivors Coalition issued a statement saying in part:

The Bishop’s words ignored the systemic problem and minimized what occurred during the time period covered in the report. For example, Bishop Gruss apologized for the trust that has been broken by the “misconduct of a few.” But childhood sexual abuse by clergy is not “misconduct.” It is serious criminal behavior resulting in life-long damage to the victims. Moreover, the Bishop completely ignored the issue of highly placed Catholic officials who allowed identified abusers to remain in ministry and harm additional young lives.