Source: CNN
By Mark Morales and Dakin Andone, CNN
(CNN)The New York attorney general has issued civil subpoenas for all eight Catholic dioceses in the state as part of a civil investigation into how the dioceses and other parts of the church reviewed and potentially covered up allegations of the sexual abuse of minors, according to a source close to the investigation.
The news comes several weeks after a Pennsylvania grand jury report detailing decades of sexual abuse by “predator priests” reignited a firestorm in the global church, prompting inquiries in other states by church and secular officials.
The office of New York Attorney General Barbara D. Underwood announced the civil investigation Thursday in a statement, which said the office’s Charities Bureau launched the investigation. The dioceses and other parts of the church function as non-profits.
District attorneys are the only entities in New York with the power to convene grand juries and pursue criminal charges for alleged abuse still within the statute of limitations. Last month, the attorney general’s office announced it sought to partner with district attorneys on potential criminal action.
Categories: America, Catholic Church, Sexual Abuse, The Muslim Times, USA