LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – An investigative report released by The Office of the Michigan Attorney General on Monday details more than 70 years of horrific sexual abuse committed against children by members of the Diocese of Lansing.

The report.

According to Attorney General Dana Nessel, the massive 345-page report is based on roughly 220 boxes of paper documents and more than 3.5 million digital documents seized on Oct. 3, 2018. Those documents were part of a statewide effort to review the widespread clergy abuse scandal and alleged cover-ups. It shows what many have referred to as a cancer in the Catholic Church where victims have been ignored or silenced and abusers were shuffled between churches rather than turned in to law enforcement.

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The report shows 38 victims have received justice. The list of 56 abusers include 48 priests, three religious brothers and an apparent former religious brother, and four deacons. Forty-two were ordained or incardinated by the Diocese of Lansing.

“These reports are important, not just because we made a promise to the survivors years ago, but because victims, especially in cases like these where the assaults were perpetrated by entrusted members of a community, are often silenced – in some cases for decades or a lifetime,” Nessel said. “By publishing these reports, we are sharing their stories and validating their experiences.”

Nessel continued, “Criminal prosecutions are just one accountability metric. Ensuring each victim is heard, regardless of how long ago the sexual abuse and misconduct may have been, is important in acknowledging their pain and fostering a culture that prioritizes these victims over their silence.”

The Diocese responds.

The Diocese of Lansing agreed to provide reports of abuse to Nessel’s office, and victims shared their alleged abuse stories with faith leaders. Victims often reach out to their faith leaders to share stories of alleged abuse. The willingness of the Diocese to provide information was instrumental in the compilation of the report.

Bishop Earl Boyea, who has been at the helm of the Diocese of Lansing since 2008, issued a statement. “Having read this long and detailed report, my heart breaks for all those who have suffered due to the evil of clerical sexual abuse which is a great betrayal of Jesus Christ, His Holy Church, the priesthood, and, most gravely, those victims – and their families – who were harmed physically, emotionally, but above all spiritually when they were so young. Bishop Boyea continued, “To all those injured by such criminal and immoral actions I say clearly and without hesitation: these terrible things should never have happened to you; I am so deeply sorry that they ever did; please be assured of my prayers, penance, love and support.”

Additional information in the report came from the Attorney General’s clergy abuse tip line. It generated 1,137 tips related to abuse which then lead to police investigations, 180 victim interviews, and more than 285 police reports.