ST. LOUIS (AP) _ Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley says the Archdiocese of
St. Louis has agreed to open its files for an investigation of potential clergy
abuse.
Hawley told reporters in a teleconference Thursday he is asking the three other Roman Catholic dioceses in Missouri to similarly open their files. A spokeswoman says the Diocese of Jefferson City “would fully cooperate with the attorney general if he decides to proceed with an investigation.”
Messages seeking comment from the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph and the
Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau were not immediately returned.
Hawley’s announcement came amid renewed concerns following the release of a report in Pennsylvania citing abuse of more than 1,000 children by hundreds of priests since the 1940s, along with cover-up by church leaders.
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