TOPEKA – The Kansas Bureau of Investigation released an update on the progress of their task force investigating allegations of sexual misconduct by members of the Catholic clergy in Kansas.
The KBI initiated the investigation in February 2019, at the request of Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt. When announcing the start of the investigation, they asked Kansans to report to them any victimization by members of the clergy, church employees, church volunteers, or any others in positions of authority within the church.
Since the launch of the investigation, the KBI has received 119 reports from victims who have contacted them related to recent or past sexual abuse committed by clergy members. Following these reports, task force agents have initiated 74 investigations in 33 different Kansas counties.
The KBI continues to take reports of sexual abuse via phone at 1-800-KS-CRIME, or by email at ClergyAbuse@kbi.ks.gov. Victims are asked to report all incidents of sexual abuse that involve a member of the clergy, no matter how long ago the incident occurred, and even if it was previously reported to law enforcement or the church.
For Spanish-speaking victims:
Si usted o alguien que conozca, ha sido víctima de abuso sexual cometido por un miembro del clero católico, por favor de reportarlo por teléfono a 1-800-572-7463, o por correo electrónico a ClergyAbuse@kbi.ks.gov. Se les pide a las víctimas que reportan todo incidente de abuso sexual que involucre a un miembro del clero, sin importar hace cuánto tiempo ocurrió el incidente, incluso si se ha reportado previamente a las autoridades policiales o a la iglesia. Si llama al 1-800-572-7463, pero no habla inglés, por favor permanezca en la línea hasta que se pueda contactar a un intérprete para assistir.
The investigation is ongoing. The task force expects the investigation to be lengthy.