Media stories and investigative reports have raised concerns about a nationwide Catholic church sex scandal, and some Kentucky state leaders want to better understand the impact of Kentucky church sex abuse as a result. It’s possible that many victims suffered abuse over the past several decades.

Instances of Kentucky church sex abuse could have impacted thousands of young children. The true numbers of how many were affected are not yet known, but the results of the recent Pennsylvania investigation have given leaders in other states cause for concern about the depth of the problem.

A number of different states are dealing with allegations of inappropriate behavior by priests including Missouri, Illinois, California, Pennsylvania, and Kentucky church sex abuse claims. In Kentucky, Church sex abuse may have been carried out by priests within the Catholic Church towards young children and teenagers.

The Kentucky Attorney General wants permission to investigate sexual abuse on behalf of victims who may have been harmed by Kentucky Church officiants. The Kentucky Church sex abuse request will likely come as a grand jury investigation into allegations made against the Catholic Church.

This would be mirrored much like the report that just concluded in Pennsylvania in which at least 300 priests were reportedly involved in molesting and raping over 1,000 victims.

State Attorney Generals Respond

The Kentucky Attorney General staff has communicated with the Pennsylvania Attorney General about how to structure this investigation. Several Attorneys General in other states have launched investigations that would be similar to what is proposed for the Kentucky Church sex abuse investigation. The finding from the Pennsylvania report has spurred other Attorneys General to take action and try to discover the depth of the problem in their own state.

Concerns about Kentucky Church sex abuse have certainly become more prominent in recent years as many people allege that they were victims of Catholic priests and sexually abusive behavior going back several decades. According to previous investigations from other states, what has prompted the Kentucky Church sex abuse response is the fact that it has primarily been young men and boys who have been named as victims in these claims.

A grand jury investigation might be the first step in exploring the details of the Kentucky Church sex abuse problem and that of other locales, given the number of victims potentially involved from other states, such as what was discovered in the recent Pennsylvania investigation and resulting report.

A grand jury investigation could give state leaders a better handle on how many victims may have been impacted by priests carrying out sexual abuse behaviors behind closed doors. Thousands of victims could have been affected by inappropriate and unexcusable behavior carried out by catholic priests, including sexual assault, molestation, and even rape.

Victims in the Bluegrass State continue to come forward and share their concerns about Kentucky Church sex abuse, joining victims across the country in sharing their stories and requesting that the Kentucky legislature amend the law.