After the Wisconsin Department of Justice announced its investigation six months ago, 180 survivors of clergy abuse made reports. The range of survivors ages spans from under 18 years to over 75 years old.
The reports come from every single Catholic diocese in the state, although some reports of sexual abuse were affiliated with other religious denominations and non-religious settings. One of the reasons the Wisconsin launched the investigation is that over 170 priests in Wisconsin have been credibly accused of sexual abuse.
Wisconsin joins 21 other states across the US who’ve launched investigations into potential clergy abuse. The results have prompted advocates and survivors to call on legislators to change the statute of limitations so that survivors could pursue criminal charges and civil claims against the Catholic Church (or another religious or non-religious actor who was liable). However, the Wisconsin legislature has not yet taken up any bills to extend the statute of limitations.
The Archdiocese of Milwaukee has refused to hand over any documents to aid in the investigation thus far. Attorney General Josh Kaul has indicated this factor will likely prolong the process. However, the investigation has no plans to end soon and will remain open so long as new information and new survivors continue to come forward.
Kelly R. McClintock joined Grewal Law in 2019 to help establish a human trafficking litigation division and to assist Grewal’s already successful practices, including sexual assault litigation, and family law.
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