Why survivors aren't happy with the DOJ's church abuse initiative

PUBLISHED 5:24 PM ET JUN. 08, 2022, BY ANTHONY DABRUZZI

MADISON, Wis. — Several sexual abuse survivors and advocates gathered on the steps of the Capitol Tuesday to raise concerns about an initiative underway by the Wisconsin Dept. of Justice.

Disappointed, let down, and betrayed were some of the words used by abuse survivors who feel the Clergy and Faith Leader Abuse Initiative has fallen short of expectations.

Patrick Noth, who is a survivor of clergy abuse, spoke out as a part of his recovery.

“This was promised to be an investigation into clergy abuse, right,” Noth asked the crowd. “I asked them, what is being done? They said, point-blank, and I have the email, they said maybe investigation is too strong of a word.”

Advocates and abuse survivors graded the attorney general and based the report card on feedback from survivors, the release of a yearly report, as well as meetings with DOJ staff over the last year.

Among the concerns is a lack of outreach to survivors, a lack of criminal prosecutions, and a lack of investigation into senior church management.

“The church, especially the Catholic church, but other churches, its legal teams are more powerful than the attorney general, and that's been the problem with this issue for decades,” Peter Isely, one of the founding members of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, said.

However, Attorney General Josh Kaul insisted progress has been made with two prosecutions underway, which can be a lengthy process.

“With every report that we receive, we're having a multi-disciplinary team that consists of a prosector, a victim advocate, and an investigator review that report, and make sure that there has been a thorough review, and that whatever appropriate steps that should happen are happening,” Kaul explained.

Kaul said so far, there have been more than 200 reports made from all across Wisconsin, with roughly 50 of them reported for the first time.