By CatholicVote | Created at 2024-11-05 15:51:53 | Updated at 2024-11-05 21:02:48
5 hours ago
CV NEWS FEED // The Washington Attorney General’s Office has filed an appeal against a recent court ruling that bars the state from subpoenaing child sex abuse records from the Church, KUOW reported on October 31. The appeal argues that such records do not qualify for religious exemption and should be made public.
The appeal challenges a decision — issued in July 2024 by a King County Superior Court judge — that blocked investigators’ access to Church records based on the state’s Charitable Trust Act, according to a report from news outlet KUOW.
In that ruling, Judge Michael Scott agreed with the Archdiocese of Seattle’s assertion that, under current state laws, religious institutions are exempt from disclosing certain records associated with their charitable status.
In its appeal, the Attorney General’s Office contends that religious exemptions should not apply to secular misconduct like child sex abuse, according to the KUOW report.
KUOW reported that earlier this year, the Church expressed surprise over the legal battle for the records, asserting that it had been voluntarily cooperating with the Attorney General’s Office.
The Attorney General’s office stated that complete access to Church records is necessary to investigate potential misuse of charitable trust funds, particularly to determine if those funds were used to conceal misconduct, according to KUOW.
The Archdiocese of Seattle anticipated the appeal, according to spokesperson Helen McClenahan, who said the Archdiocese is “committed to transparency and accountability to help those who have been harmed heal and to rebuild trust,” and added that the Church intends to continue collaborating with the Attorney General’s Office.
In addition to this legal dispute, the Seattle Archdiocese recently announced a $785,000 settlement related to allegations of sexual abuse. These cases include incidents involving Fr. Gerald Moffat, who served as a pastor in the 1980s, and Terry McGrath, a lay basketball coach from 1975. Both men are now deceased, with Fr. Moffat having committed suicide after the suit was filed against him, KUOW reported.
In 2016, the Archdiocese released a list of 77 clergy and religious order members accused of sexually abusing minors in Western Washington between 1923 and 2008. The Archdiocese has since implemented a healing ministry focused on abuse prevention, survivor support, and pastoral care.
“The ministry will … provide education and training on recognizing the signs of abuse, abuse prevention, and trauma sensitive pastoral competencies,” the archdiocese said in a July statement.
