The Kentucky Attorney General is endorsing the concept of a new law in the light of the Catholic priests scandal that has rocked Pennsylvania of late. According to an article by Cincinnati’s WCPO, Attorney General Andy Beshear believes that a law allowing him to set up a special grand jury that could look into alleged crimes that cross the borders of one or more counties would be beneficial.

The Pennsylvania Catholic priests scandal was investigated by a specially-appointed grand jury allowed for by that state’s law. The grand jury there was able to review allegations that sexual predators functioning as priests had molested up to 1,000 children in nearly 80 years.

The Catholic priests scandal investigation involved countless hours looking into victim, caregiver, and eyewitness reports. Additionally, the Catholic priests scandal required the painstaking evaluation of internal church documents which revealed overt attempts to cover up sexually abusive actions by priests or church leaders in six dioceses or 54 out of 67 Pennsylvania counties. In the final Pennsylvania Catholic priests scandal report, it was estimated that 300 church personnel were involved in these actions.

Kentucky’s Own Catholic Priests Scandal

The state of Kentucky has its own rocky history in terms of trust and the Catholic church. Early into the new millennium, the Archdiocese of Louisville was facing close to 250 lawsuits by people who claimed sexual abuse at the hands of church leaders or priests as children. The archdiocese chose to resolve these allegations with an out-of-court settlement of $25.7 million, according to WCPO.

Since the Pennsylvania Catholic priests scandal has achieved notoriety, Kentucky’s Office of Attorney General has received numerous communications from citizens who believe the legal ability to appoint a special grand jury is a valuable tool in the toolbox.

Beshear’s office indicates that Democratic State Rep. Jeffrey Donahue will sponsor a bill granting this authority in January 2019 when the new legislative session begins.

Democratic State Rep. Jim Wayne, a devout Catholic, is not pursuing office this coming year but does support the bill. Wayne has reportedly endorsed it believing it will “give us an opportunity as a society to make sure that everything is known about the history of sex abuse in the Catholic church,” according to WCPO.

Meanwhile, Attorney General Beshear has not revealed whether his office has undertaken or plans to undertake an investigation of the Catholic church in the state of Kentucky. The bill just gives him the authority to request the state’s Supreme Court to initiate a grand jury with multiple county jurisdictions. The article indicates that the archdiocese has pledged complete cooperation should an investigation start.

Candidate for the Office of Attorney General in Kentucky next year—Whitney Westerfield–has a mixed response to Beshear’s endorsement of this bill. He feels that it doesn’t allow for total county representation but wants to look into how this grand jury empowerment has been enacted in other states before deciding.

If you or a loved one was the victim of sex abuse by a Catholic priest or church leader in California, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Illinois or Missouri, legal help is available. You may qualify to file a Catholic Church sex abuse lawsuit. Fill out the FREE form on this page for more information.

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