LANSING, MI – State Attorney General Dana Nessel said law enforcement has received more than 300 tips of alleged sexual misconduct in Michigan’s seven Catholic dioceses since her office began investigating the issue in 2018.

She added Thursday, Feb. 21, that the investigation will take “in the neighborhood of two years” and that upwards of 1,000 sex-abuse victims could be uncovered. She did not elaborate on how her office arrived at that potential number of victims.

Nessel discussed the investigation during a press conference held Thursday in Lansing, seven weeks into her term. Her office’s investigation of what she dubbed “clergy abuse in the Catholic church” began in August 2018 under her predecessor, Bill Schuette.

Nessel opened her comments on the scandal by relating how in October law enforcement executed simultaneous raids on all seven Michigan dioceses — in Saginaw, Detroit, Marquette, Lansing, Kalamazoo, Gaylord, and Grand Rapids. The raid involved nearly 70 officers and special agents and 14 assistant attorneys general, she said.

While similar investigations are underway in numerous states, Michigan was the first to execute statewide warrants.

“We did not depend on the dioceses to turn over documents, which is what primarily happened in other states,” Nessel said. “Our team seized and is now continuing to review hundreds of thousands of pages of documents, including procedures for receiving and investigating allegations of abuse by the church.”

Investigators have met or spoken with lawyers representing each diocese. Nessel said her office has also sent letters to every parish in the state, asking them to inform parishioners of the investigation.

More than 300 tips have been received through investigators’ clergy abuse hotline (1-844-324-3374) and online tip form at mi.gov/clergyabuse.

“We’re strongly urging victims, or anyone who knows a victim, to contact the state’s team of certified law enforcement investigators by calling this number,” Nessel said.

Investigators have asked the dioceses to hold off on their internal reviews until civil authorities’ probe concludes, Nessel said.

“This investigation is statewide,” she said. “Priests have been moved from one diocese to the next, protecting the priests and the parish. We’re also going to be cooperating with … I believe it’s 12 other states that now have similar ongoing investigations, because we know that there have been priests that have been moved from state to state to state. This will be a cooperative effort.”

She stressed to the public they not go to church officials with abuse claims.

“If an investigator comes to your door and asks to speak with you, please ask to see their badge and not their rosary,” she said, adding she has heard stories from people encouraged to take settlements and sign nondisclosure agreements.

Even those who have signed nondisclosure agreements still have the right to speak to law enforcement, Nessel said.

“We can, and we will, follow the trail of abuse where it’s occurred,” she said.

Those who have been abused, no matter how long ago, deserve to be heard and their abusers brought to justice, she continued. Even if the abuse falls beyond the statute of limitations, their account can be useful in other prosecutions, she said.

In Michigan, there is no statute of limitations for first-degree criminal sexual conduct, but for all other degrees of criminal sexual conduct, a suspect can be charged only within 10 years of the crime or by the alleged victim’s 21st birthday, whichever occurs later.

Nessel drew comparisons between the Catholic misconduct matter and the Michigan State University-Larry Nassar case.

“Both institutions, when confronted with a public sex abuse scandal, publicly pledged their cooperation with law enforcement authorities but have failed to deliver on those public promises,” she said. “Regrettably, it would seem as though these two powerful institutions care more about protecting their brand than the people they served.”

If the church truly wishes to honor their pledge in assisting civil authorities, Nessel advised them to deal with abusers exempt from prosecution due to the statute of limitations. She also called upon the dioceses to work with her office to set up a fund for victims so they can obtain help to deal with trauma they’ve endured under the church’s watch.

“Unfortunately, the reality is there are predators in the priesthood that are still out there and we feel as though they have to be stopped and we need to ensure this doesn’t happen again and bad actors are consistently held accountable,” she said.

However long the investigation takes, Nessel said she’s committed to releasing a final report at its conclusion. She lauded the efforts of the state police, the head of which, Col. Joe Gasper, joined Nessel at the Thursday press conference.

Gasper said some of the agency’s best detectives have been assigned to the case, which he described as “exceptionally complex and complicated.”

Investigators are equally committed to seeking justice for victims and being thorough, he said.

“We have high standards within the MSP and I can assure you we won’t be cutting any corners … and let the citizens of Michigan down,” he said. “We take all leads seriously. It’s critically important that we hear directly from you when you have information to provide.”

Asked if church officials have been cooperative, Gasper said it varies from diocese to diocese.

The Archdiocese of Detroit issued a response regarding Nessel’s statements, disputing much of what she alleged.

The archdiocese said it has not entered into any nondisclosure agreements since 2002, nor does it enforce any signed prior to that year. The organization also said it does not self-police and encourages all sexual abuse victims to speak with law enforcement.

“When we learn of an allegation of sexual abuse of minors, we immediately notify law enforcement authorities, in accordance with the agreements we have had in place with them since 2002, when we shared past case files involving clergy misconduct and committed to turning over all new allegations regardless of when the alleged abuse occurred,” the organization said. “We then follow law enforcement’s lead to step aside and assist, when requested, during any criminal investigation.”

The release went on to state Nessel’s office has not asked the archdiocese to stop its internal review process.

“Clergy with credible accusations against them do not belong in ministry,” the release continued. “Since the Attorney General’s investigation began, the Archdiocese of Detroit has not received notification from that office regarding credible accusations against any of our priests. Should we become aware of such a complaint, we will act immediately. When the Archdiocese of Detroit became aware of the Attorney General’s request for parishes to publicize the state’s tip line, we immediately offered to help our parishes facilitate the publication of that material.”

The release concluded by stating the archdiocese looks forward to working with the Attorney General’s Office.

“The Archdiocese of Detroit offers continued prayers and sorrow for all victim-survivors and their families. One sinful, criminal act, especially against God’s most vulnerable and trusting children, is unacceptable and one suffering soul too many. We remain committed to preventing sexual abuse against anyone - especially children and vulnerable adults.”

Nessel said her office is not going to be deterred from prosecuting those implicated by evidence, regardless of their current age or locations.

“I don’t care who they are, how old they are, or where they live,” she said. “I care about if they committed a crime. If we can show a crime was committed and we have the evidence to prove it and that it occurred within the statute of limitations, nothing is off the table.”