A new statewide initiative, led by the Wisconsin Department of Justice, will review reports of clergy and faith leader abuse.
Victim advocates including Peter Isely of Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, were on hand for a press conference Tuesday. “I know how difficult it’s going to be for many of you to come forward again,” Isely said “I want you to know, this time is different.”
District Attorneys from counties where Catholic dioceses are headquartered will participate in what AG Josh Kaul calls a “victim-centered” process. “And that’s why it’s so important, that we had people here, who had worked on this issue for years and years, to talk about how this is different from what people may have experienced before, and why it safe for people to report.”
“This is a big moment,” said Milwaukee County DA John Chisholm. “This is a moment when we recognize that we have to wrap out arms around victims of clergy abuse, in the same way that we would wrap our arms around a victim of family violence in Milwaukee.”
While Kaul stressed that the effort is not exclusively focused on the Catholic Church, the review will include the archdioceses of Milwaukee, Madison, La Crosse, Green Bay and Superior.
A spokesman for the Milwaukee archdiocese said they were part of a meeting with Kaul on Monday, and that “the publicity has the potential to re-victimize individuals.
Information can be reported online, at SupportSurvivors.widoj.gov or by calling 1-877-222-2620.