Kirchenakte Documented events from judgments, reports and church documents
1939-2021 · 82 years · show in timeline

Nebraska 1939 to 2021: The Attorney General found 258 victims and 57 accused; according to the report, church authorities placed the church's reputation above the protection of children

From 2018 the Nebraska Department of Justice investigated abuse in the state's three Catholic dioceses. Because the church files did not match the calls to the hotline, it issued 426 subpoenas to parishes and schools in 2019. The 2021 report lists credible allegations against 57 church officials and 258 documented victims. No offence was still prosecutable. In Lincoln the diocese had prior notice in at least 6 of 14 cases and did not act; in Omaha nearly 40 boys were abused after the archdiocese knew about the offenders. One priest remained in ministry for 34 years after the archdiocese learned about him. According to the Attorney General, those in authority repeatedly placed the church's reputation above the children.

Period
1939-2021 (82 years)
Country
United States
Institutions
Archdiocese of Omaha
Diocese of Lincoln
Diocese of Grand Island
Category
Sexual abuse, Cover-up
Level of evidence
A Primary source · what does this mean?

What happened to the people

Who was affected? Victims and numbers

  1. The report lists credible allegations against 57 church officials, 51 priests, four deacons and two teachers, and 258 documented victims: 97 in Lincoln, 158 in Omaha, 3 in Grand Island. The earliest substantiated case of one monsignor dates from 1939, his last from the early 1980s. None of the offences was still prosecutable.
    Evidence: Office of the Nebraska Attorney General (Douglas J. Peterson), S. 5
    „credible allegations of sexual abuse and/or misconduct against 57 church officials (51 priests, 4 deacons, and 2 teachers)“
    Report on Clergy Sexual Abuse, S. 5. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Office of the Nebraska Attorney General (Douglas J. Peterson), S. 5
    „totaling 258 victims“
    Report on Clergy Sexual Abuse, S. 5. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Office of the Nebraska Attorney General (Douglas J. Peterson), S. 82
    „The date of his first case of substantiated abuse was in 1939, with the last case occurring in the early 1980s“
    Report on Clergy Sexual Abuse, S. 82. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Office of the Nebraska Attorney General (Douglas J. Peterson), S. 5
    „Our investigation concluded there were no allegations of clergy sexual abuse which were still prosecutable within the relevant statute of limitations.“
    Report on Clergy Sexual Abuse, S. 5. Original · Archive copy

How were they charged and sentenced?

  1. In August 2018 the Nebraska Department of Justice asked the three bishops to hand over all files on child sexual abuse since 1978. Comparison with hotline calls showed that allegations were missing from the church files or were broader than recorded there. On 19 February 2019 the department therefore issued 426 subpoenas to Catholic parishes and schools.
    Evidence: Office of the Nebraska Attorney General (Douglas J. Peterson), S. 1
    „We requested the bishops provide to law enforcement all the investigative files in their possession relating to child sexual abuse dating back to January 1, 1978.“
    Report on Clergy Sexual Abuse, S. 1. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Office of the Nebraska Attorney General (Douglas J. Peterson), S. 2
    „Allegations from victims calling the Hotline were either not included or broader in scope than those contained in the files.“
    Report on Clergy Sexual Abuse, S. 2. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Office of the Nebraska Attorney General (Douglas J. Peterson), S. 2
    „the Nebraska DOJ issued 426 subpoenas to individual Catholic churches and Catholic schools throughout the State of Nebraska“
    Report on Clergy Sexual Abuse, S. 2. Original · Archive copy

What happened to those affected?

  1. In the Archdiocese of Omaha, according to the report, nearly 40 boys were abused after the archdiocese became aware of the priests' behaviour. One priest remained in ministry for 34 years after the archdiocese learned of it. The Attorney General wrote that those in authority had repeatedly placed the church's reputation above the protection of children.
    Evidence: Office of the Nebraska Attorney General (Douglas J. Peterson), S. 167
    „Because of its failure to act, nearly 40 minor boys were subjected to sexual abuse after the archdiocese became aware of the priests’ aberrant behavior.“
    Report on Clergy Sexual Abuse, S. 167. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Office of the Nebraska Attorney General (Douglas J. Peterson), S. 168
    „Sellentin was allowed to continue in ministry for 34 years after the archdiocese became aware of his sexually abusive behavior.“
    Report on Clergy Sexual Abuse, S. 168. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Office of the Nebraska Attorney General (Douglas J. Peterson), Erklärung des Generalstaatsanwalts, S. ii
    „those in authority chose to place the reputation of the church above the protection of the children who placed their spiritual care in the hands of those in church authority“
    Report on Clergy Sexual Abuse, Erklärung des Generalstaatsanwalts, S. ii. Original · Archive copy

Background

Response of the Church

  1. In the Diocese of Lincoln the diocese had prior notice of the priests' behaviour in at least 6 of 14 cases and did not remove them. One priest was immediately moved to another parish after his abuse became known and was given a leadership position in a Catholic youth organisation; it had been reported to a monsignor who himself abused boys. According to the report, in two cases the diocese's goal was to conceal criminal behaviour from the authorities. Of seven contemporaneously reported cases it reported only two to the police.
    Evidence: Office of the Nebraska Attorney General (Douglas J. Peterson), S. 80
    „It is evident that in at least 6 of the 14 cases listed above, the diocese had received prior notice of aberrant sexual behavior by the offending priests but took no action to immediately remove them from ministry.“
    Report on Clergy Sexual Abuse, S. 80. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Office of the Nebraska Attorney General (Douglas J. Peterson), S. 80
    „Not only was Hrdlicka not removed, but he was immediately passed on to another parish. Worse yet, he was given a leadership position in a Catholic youth organization.“
    Report on Clergy Sexual Abuse, S. 80. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Office of the Nebraska Attorney General (Douglas J. Peterson), S. 80
    „Ironically, the initial report of abuse was made to Crowley, who himself was an abuser of multiple pre-teen and teenage boys.“
    Report on Clergy Sexual Abuse, S. 80. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Office of the Nebraska Attorney General (Douglas J. Peterson), S. 81
    „In both cases, it appears the diocese’s goal was to conceal criminal behavior from the authorities.“
    Report on Clergy Sexual Abuse, S. 81. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Office of the Nebraska Attorney General (Douglas J. Peterson), S. 81
    „the diocese reported to law enforcement on only two occasions“
    Report on Clergy Sexual Abuse, S. 81. Original · Archive copy

See also

Original documents to read

  1. Government report
    Office of the Nebraska Attorney General (Douglas J. Peterson): Report on Clergy Sexual Abuse, 4 November 2021. Original · Archive copy (retrieved 30 Oct 2026)
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Last changed on 30 October 2026. Is something missing or wrong? Suggest an addition or correction.