MADISON – Four years after the launch of an investigation to look at the breadth of abuse by faith leaders in Wisconsin, Attorney General Josh Kaul is still collecting reports from the public.
Since its launch, the clergy and faith leader investigation has brough charges against several people, and resulted in hundreds of reports gathered from religious organizations across the state.
“We’ve taken a consistent approach throughout the initiative, which is to follow the information where it leads,” Kaul said in an interview. “And what we are committed to doing is ensuring that any report and any information we put out is based on the facts.”
But as the years stretch on, some have started to question why the investigation is taking so long, and when a final report will be released.
Here’s what we know about the ongoing investigation.
What exactly is the investigation looking at?
The Department of Justice launched the inquiry to look at claims of sexual abuse by faith leaders of all denominations, with a particular interest in the Catholic Church.
Advocates pushed for Kaul to open the investigation after attorneys general in other states launched inquiries and revealed findings that some denominations of churches knew about sexual abuse by leaders in positions of power, but did not report them.
So far, many of the reports have related to Catholic priests, but there have also been reports from several other denominations.
How many reports has the DOJ received?
As of Sept. 29, the Department of Justice has received 326 reports about abuse.
That number is up from 274 in April 2024.
What’s been accomplished so far?
Charges have been filed against several current or former clergy members or counselors. Instances of abuse have also been reported to a religious authority, and the abuser added to the list of credibly accused abusers.
In April of this year, former youth pastor James Lane, 53, pleaded guilty in Wood County to repeated sexual assault of a child. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison and five years of extended supervision.
According to a release from the DOJ, the abuse occurred between September 2002 and December 2003, when Lane was driving the child home from Faith Reformed Church in Wisconsin Rapids.
Theodore McCarrick, a former cardinal of the Catholic Church, was charged with one count of fourth-degree sexual assault for an incident that occurred in 1977. The former cardinal allegedly engaged in repeated sexual abuse of the victim over time, including once fondling the victim while staying as a guest at a Lake Geneva residence.
In January, the court determined McCarrick was not competent to stand trial. He died earlier this year.
In addition, abuse by John Cullinan, a deceased Catholic priest who served in the La Crosse diocese, was reported for the first time. The DOJ worked with the diocese to add his name to its list of clergy with substantiated allegations of abuse.
In May 2022, an arrest warrant was issued for 61-year-old Jeffrey Anthony Charles, who police say sexually assaulted a minor at a cabin in Douglas County between 2005 and 2010.
Charles served as the pastor for the nondenominational church Neighbors to Nations in Princeton, Minn., at the time of the assaults, but routinely traveled to his Wisconsin cabin with parishioners. He is accused of assaulting the victim four times in five years, while the victim was between the ages of 3 and 7.
In February 2022, Remington Jon Nystrom, 33, was charged with one count of first-degree sexual contact with a child under 13 in connection with an incident that occurred in 2009. Nystrom was a counselor at a Mount Morris camp in Waushara County when, police say, he inappropriately touched a sleeping child. The camp is affiliated with the Moravian Church of America.
Nystrom was convicted of second-degree sexual abuse of a child, and sentenced to seven years of prison, followed by 10 years of extended supervision.
Two cases have also been handed over to Brown County investigators, but no charges have yet been filed there.
More: Madison priest accused of child sex crimes faced a previous complaint in 2021
What’s the role of the Catholic dioceses in the investigation?
So far, the Catholic dioceses of Wisconsin have declined to share information with the DOJ. But they did say when the investigation launched that if there was a specific allegation for a current, living member of the clergy, information would be shared with investigators.
In 2023, Kaul sought access to court documents sealed a decade ago as a part of a bankruptcy filing by the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. The bankruptcy was related to a $21 million settlement to compensate victims of sexual abuse by clergy.
A federal judge in October 2024 denied access to Kaul and his team of investigators, saying the DOJ failed to make a valid case for revisiting the bankruptcy decision and did not provide a sufficient plan for notifying clergy abuse victims of its request for the records.
For years, rumors have swirled about the bankruptcy filings including the names of additional abusive clergy members, but that claim has never been substantiated.
What’s the status of the final report?
Kaul said in a Sept. 25 interview he did not know when the final report would be released.
More: She says the Lutheran Church knew her husband was abusive. He kept ministering for 24 years.
When did Kaul launch the inquiry?
Kaul announced the start of his investigation in April 2021, surrounded by advocates and the loved ones of Nate Lindstrom, a man who took his life after being abused as a child by a priest.
What have critics of the investigation said?
Critics of the investigation have put pressure on Kaul to push for documents and information from the Catholic Church, and in particular, the Milwaukee Archdiocese.
Though Kaul has tried to access files from the Archdiocese, he has not been successful.
Critics also are worried about the length of time the inquiry has been ongoing with no report. Other states took considerably less time.
“We’re committed to conducting a thorough comprehensive review, and our goal is not to put out a report on some particular date, but rather to put out a report we feel does justice to the work that’s been done,” Kaul said when asked about the criticism.
More: Judge blocks attorney general review of sealed Milwaukee Archdiocese bankruptcy documents
What happens when someone makes a report?
When a survivor or someone with knowledge of abuse makes a report to the hotline or online, they’re put into contact with a victim services worker who can steer them to resources, if needed.
Then each claim is looked into by a team of people across different specialties, who decide if the claim can be forwarded to local authorities.
How can I report abuse or knowledge of abuse?
To file a report, call 877-222-2620 or use the online reporting tool at supportsurvivors.widoj.gov. Both options provide the ability to file an anonymous tip.
The department is still accepting reports and said survivors have control of what happens after their report is received.
Laura Schulte can be reached at leschulte@jrn.com and on X @SchulteLaura.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin’s faith leader abuse investigation yields 300-plus reports
- What exactly is the investigation looking at?
- How many reports has the DOJ received?
- What’s been accomplished so far?
- What’s the role of the Catholic dioceses in the investigation?
- What’s the status of the final report?
- When did Kaul launch the inquiry?
- What have critics of the investigation said?
- What happens when someone makes a report?
- How can I report abuse or knowledge of abuse?
