JEFFERSON CITY (MO)
Missourinet
Oct. 27, 2019
By Brian Hauswirth
Missouri’s attorney general says his office is close to completing 12 referrals of former clergy members across the state for potential criminal prosecution.
This involves Attorney General Eric Schmitt’s (R) investigation into allegations of sexual abuse by clergy members in the Roman Catholic Church.
“We issued the report about a month ago with our findings and announcing that we had the 12 criminal referrals, so we’re in the process of working with those local prosecutors right now, formally making those criminal referrals,” Schmitt says.
Schmitt’s office notes that in Missouri, the jurisdiction to formally investigate clergy abuse lies with local law enforcement and not the attorney general’s office. Schmitt expects the referrals to be completed soon.
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