Through the Static

By Hannah Saunders

The Washington Attorney General’s Office (AGO) can now investigate incidents of child sex abuse in the Catholic Church, after a March 2 ruling from the state’s court of appeals. The office can subpoena records of sexual abuse from churches in attempts to hold these religious institutions accountable for the exploitation of minors and cover-ups. 

“As a Catholic, the church must do the right thing and engage in public accounting of how the church handles allegations of child sex abuse,” Gov. Bob Ferguson said. “That’s why I started this investigation when I was Attorney General. This ruling is an important win for transparency. I am asking church leaders to reflect and pray about this unanimous court decision and stop fighting this investigation.” 

The AGO investigated the Archdiocese of Seattle, a Roman Catholic Church, and subpoenaed the Corporation of the Catholic Archbishop of Seattle in July of 2023, but the Archdiocese was able to crush it in court. Part of its investigation focused on whether the Catholic Church was implementing effective reforms in the ways of handling child sex abuse and prevention. 

“The subpoena may and should be enforced to the extent the AGO seeks evidence relevant to determining the existence of an act that was criminal, tortious, or both, including sexual abuse by clergy,” according to the court document. 

AG Nick Brown has not issued a statement.

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