Kansas City, Missouri - Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph Names Clergy Accused of Sex Abuse

19 Clerics with Substantiated Allegations of Child Sex Abuse Named

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kansas City - St. Joseph has released the names of 19 clerics who Bishop James Johnson Jr. says had substantiated allegations of child sex abuse against them. This archdiocese is the last of four Missouri dioceses to release a list of accused clerics.

Out of the 19 clerics named in this report:

• 13 have died
• 2 have been removed from the ministry
• 4 have been laicized (removed from clerical duties)

One of the laicized clerics, Shawn Ratigan, is currently serving a 50-year federal prison sentence following a 2013 conviction for producing or attempting to produce child pornography.

The diocese has also released 11 names of clerics in other categories:

• 3 who had substantiated allegations while in the diocese but are now in other dioceses
• 2 religious-order priests who have been removed from the ministry
• 3 former diocesan priests who were found "unsuitable for ministry out of concern for the safety of our youth"
• 3 clergy who are part of legal settlements but whose cases have not been substantiated in court or by the church

The diocese submitted this list to the Missouri attorney general's office, which is currently investigating clergy sex abuse in all four of the state's dioceses.

In July, the St. Louis Diocese named 61 clergy with substantiated allegations against them. The Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau has identified three priests and the Diocese of Jefferson City released a list of 35 credibly accused clergy members.

Legal Options for Survivors of Clergy Sex Abuse

Hi, I'm attorney Reed Martens, our team works tirelessly to help survivors of sexual abuse fight for justice in civil lawsuits. If you or someone you love is a survivor of sexual abuse by a Catholic priest or another clergy member, here is some general information on your legal rights:

The Catholic Church has rampant issues with clergy members sexually abusing children, with thousands of accused clergy members throughout the United States and the rest of the globe. Many of the victims of these heinous crimes have begun coming forward and taking legal action for the trauma they suffered as children.

In many cases, the predators themselves are not the only ones who deserve to be held accountable. Some cases of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church may have been prevented if not for negligence or outright cover-ups by the church. Some victims have filed lawsuits against various archdioceses for failing to protect their young church members from sexual predators in the clergy.

If you or a loved one is a survivor of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, you can learn more about your family's legal options by speaking with one of our experienced sex abuse victims attorneys in a free consultation.

Sources

https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article234792262.html

https://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/24-metro-priests-credibly-accused-of-sexual-abuse-of-a-child