SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The California Attorney General's office will review how all 12 Roman Catholic dioceses in the state handled allegations of child sex abuse.
Attorney General Xavier Becerra sent letters out Thursday asking the dioceses to preserve documents relating to how they carry out their responsibilities under the state’s mandatory reporter law for child sex abuse.
Six of the 12 dioceses, including Sacramento, were asked to voluntarily provide information to the AG so their responses can be audited.
Dioceses around the country have faced lawsuits and accusations that officials ignored clerical sex abuse or swept it under the rug.
The LA archdiocese alone has paid out about $740 million in settlements to victims. Several dioceses around the state have released lists naming dozens of priests that over the years and decades had been credibly accused of sex abuse.
Last November, Becerra urged victims to submit complaints of clerical sex abuse to his office.
Bishop Jaime Soto issued the following statement regarding the AG's request:
“The California Attorney General’s Office has asked all 12 Catholic dioceses around the state to preserve files and documents that concern their compliance as mandatory reporters of child abuse to local law enforcement.
In addition, the Attorney General’s Office has asked that 6 of the 12 dioceses voluntarily produce these same documents so that the AG’s Office can monitor their compliance with the letter and spirit of the law. Sacramento is one of those dioceses.
The Diocese of Sacramento regularly trains all mandated reporters about their obligations to report to law enforcement. Even those who are not mandated reporters are reminded of the moral obligation to be aware for the signs of child abuse and to report it when there is a reasonable suspicion an abuse as occurred.
As is our policy, we intend to cooperate with the Attorney General’s request and will work out the details with them directly.”
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