Kirchenakte Documented events from judgments, reports and church documents
1950-2022 · 72 years · show in timeline

Sexual abuse by Catholic clergy in Kansas (Kansas Bureau of Investigation report 2023)

At the request of the Attorney General, a task force of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) investigated all four Catholic dioceses of the state for four years. It investigated 188 clerics, spoke with 137 victims and found over 400 possible victims in the records since 1950. The Church concealed acts with euphemisms, investigated itself instead of calling in the police, transferred perpetrators and continued to provide for them. At least 15 victims took their own lives. Nobody was charged, mainly because of limitation periods.

Period
1950-2022 (72 years)
Report published
6 January 2023
Country
United States
Institutions
Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas
Diocese of Dodge City
Diocese of Salina
Diocese of Wichita
Capuchins
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 task force reviewed 41,265 pages of records and 224 tips, spoke with 137 victims and opened 125 criminal cases. It investigated 188 clerics for offences such as aggravated criminal sodomy, rape and aggravated indecent liberties with a child. All the records since 1950 revealed over 400 possible victims, not confirmed in every case.
    Evidence: Kansas Bureau of Investigation, veröffentlicht von KSN, Begleitbrief des KBI-Direktors, PDF-S. 2
    „the task force received and reviewed 41,265 pages of records, received and reviewed 224 tips, interviewed 137 victims of abuse, initiated 125 criminal cases and distributed 30 charging affidavits to the appropriate prosecutors for charging consideration“
    Summary Report to Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt from the KBI Catholic Clergy Task Force on Catholic Clergy Abuse of Children, Begleitbrief des KBI-Direktors, PDF-S. 2. Original
    Evidence: Kansas Bureau of Investigation, veröffentlicht von KSN, Begleitbrief des KBI-Direktors, PDF-S. 2
    „Our investigations identified 188 clergy members suspected of committing various criminal acts, to include: aggravated criminal sodomy, rape, aggravated indecent liberties with a child and aggravated sexual battery.“
    Summary Report to Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt from the KBI Catholic Clergy Task Force on Catholic Clergy Abuse of Children, Begleitbrief des KBI-Direktors, PDF-S. 2. Original
    Evidence: Kansas Bureau of Investigation, veröffentlicht von KSN, Appendix A, PDF-S. 25
    „Total number of victims identified: 400+“
    Summary Report to Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt from the KBI Catholic Clergy Task Force on Catholic Clergy Abuse of Children, Appendix A, PDF-S. 25. Original
    Evidence: Kansas Bureau of Investigation, veröffentlicht von KSN, Appendix A, PDF-S. 25
    „From all records reviewed since 1950 and identified during the investigation as possible additional victims.“
    Summary Report to Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt from the KBI Catholic Clergy Task Force on Catholic Clergy Abuse of Children, Appendix A, PDF-S. 25. Original
  2. Perpetrators used their position to prevent reports: several victims said they had been told it was all right because he was a priest; one boy was threatened by the perpetrator that he would go to hell if he told anyone. Many victims who turned to their diocese were ignored.
    Evidence: Kansas Bureau of Investigation, veröffentlicht von KSN, Results, PDF-S. 24
    „Several victims relayed accounts of being told that what was happening to them was okay because he was a priest.“
    Summary Report to Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt from the KBI Catholic Clergy Task Force on Catholic Clergy Abuse of Children, Results, PDF-S. 24. Original
    Evidence: Kansas Bureau of Investigation, veröffentlicht von KSN, Results, PDF-S. 24
    „At least one victim reported being told by his offender that if he told anyone he would go to hell.“
    Summary Report to Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt from the KBI Catholic Clergy Task Force on Catholic Clergy Abuse of Children, Results, PDF-S. 24. Original
    Evidence: Kansas Bureau of Investigation, veröffentlicht von KSN, Canonical Law and Mandatory Reporting, PDF-S. 19
    „In many cases, the victims reached out to the diocese for help with the situation but were ignored.“
    Summary Report to Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt from the KBI Catholic Clergy Task Force on Catholic Clergy Abuse of Children, Canonical Law and Mandatory Reporting, PDF-S. 19. Original

How were they charged and sentenced?

  1. The task force submitted 30 charging affidavits against 14 clerics to prosecutors; nobody was charged. All prosecutors cited the expired limitation period as the reason, which at the time of most of the acts was five years. Some victims stayed silent because they had signed non-disclosure agreements with the Church in civil proceedings. Several accused Capuchins at a ranch in Colorado declined to speak to the investigators.
    Evidence: Kansas Bureau of Investigation, veröffentlicht von KSN, Begleitbrief des KBI-Direktors, PDF-S. 2
    „To date, no prosecutor has filed charges, primarily due to statute of limitations concerns.“
    Summary Report to Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt from the KBI Catholic Clergy Task Force on Catholic Clergy Abuse of Children, Begleitbrief des KBI-Direktors, PDF-S. 2. Original
    Evidence: Kansas Bureau of Investigation, veröffentlicht von KSN, The Investigation, PDF-S. 13
    „cause affidavits to the appropriate jurisdictions involving 14 separate members of the Catholic Clergy“
    Summary Report to Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt from the KBI Catholic Clergy Task Force on Catholic Clergy Abuse of Children, The Investigation, PDF-S. 13. Original
    Evidence: Kansas Bureau of Investigation, veröffentlicht von KSN, Results, PDF-S. 24
    „the one reason stated by all prosecutors was that the statute of limitations had expired“
    Summary Report to Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt from the KBI Catholic Clergy Task Force on Catholic Clergy Abuse of Children, Results, PDF-S. 24. Original
    Evidence: Kansas Bureau of Investigation, veröffentlicht von KSN, Appendix A, PDF-S. 25
    „The majority of the crimes KBI identified occurred when the SOL was 5 years.“
    Summary Report to Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt from the KBI Catholic Clergy Task Force on Catholic Clergy Abuse of Children, Appendix A, PDF-S. 25. Original
    Evidence: Kansas Bureau of Investigation, veröffentlicht von KSN, Investigation Overview, PDF-S. 9
    „Some victims were reluctant to provide information because they had reviously signed a non-disclosure agreement with the church associated with a civil suit.“
    Summary Report to Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt from the KBI Catholic Clergy Task Force on Catholic Clergy Abuse of Children, Investigation Overview, PDF-S. 9. Original
    Evidence: Kansas Bureau of Investigation, veröffentlicht von KSN, The Investigation, PDF-S. 13
    „The priests declined to meet with the KBI agents.“
    Summary Report to Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt from the KBI Catholic Clergy Task Force on Catholic Clergy Abuse of Children, The Investigation, PDF-S. 13. Original

What happened to those affected?

  1. Since 1960 at least 15 victims have taken their own lives. Many attributed their alcohol or drug addiction to the abuse; some were in prison and saw it as a contributing cause. Many men in their sixties and seventies spoke about it to the investigators for the very first time. According to the report, every victim was harmed a second time, by an institution that covered up the abuse and protected the perpetrator.
    Evidence: Kansas Bureau of Investigation, veröffentlicht von KSN, General Findings, PDF-S. 15
    „From 1960 through present, at least 15 victims of clergy sexual abuse committed suicide.“
    Summary Report to Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt from the KBI Catholic Clergy Task Force on Catholic Clergy Abuse of Children, General Findings, PDF-S. 15. Original
    Evidence: Kansas Bureau of Investigation, veröffentlicht von KSN, Investigation Overview, PDF-S. 10
    „our team heard from many victims who attributed their alcohol or drug abuse“
    Summary Report to Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt from the KBI Catholic Clergy Task Force on Catholic Clergy Abuse of Children, Investigation Overview, PDF-S. 10. Original
    Evidence: Kansas Bureau of Investigation, veröffentlicht von KSN, Investigation Overview, PDF-S. 10
    „A few of the victims the task force engaged with were in prison and they attributed their incarceration, in part, to the sexual abuse they had experienced as children by offending clergy members.“
    Summary Report to Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt from the KBI Catholic Clergy Task Force on Catholic Clergy Abuse of Children, Investigation Overview, PDF-S. 10. Original
    Evidence: Kansas Bureau of Investigation, veröffentlicht von KSN, Investigation Overview, PDF-S. 10
    „In many cases they have never previously disclosed the sexual abuse to anyone.“
    Summary Report to Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt from the KBI Catholic Clergy Task Force on Catholic Clergy Abuse of Children, Investigation Overview, PDF-S. 10. Original
    Evidence: Kansas Bureau of Investigation, veröffentlicht von KSN, General Findings, PDF-S. 15
    „Each victim was then further victimized by an institution that covered up the abuse and protected the predator, instead of adequately and justly handling the problem.“
    Summary Report to Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt from the KBI Catholic Clergy Task Force on Catholic Clergy Abuse of Children, General Findings, PDF-S. 15. Original

Background

Why? Justification and motives (according to the sources)

  1. The report calls protecting the Church from scandal a universally applied theme and a priority of the Church. Credible evidence suggested that a number of diocesan officials, including bishops, conspired to cover up abuse allegations.
    Evidence: Kansas Bureau of Investigation, veröffentlicht von KSN, General Findings, PDF-S. 15
    „Protecting the church from scandal seemed to be a universally applied theme within the Catholic Church, and a priority.“
    Summary Report to Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt from the KBI Catholic Clergy Task Force on Catholic Clergy Abuse of Children, General Findings, PDF-S. 15. Original
    Evidence: Kansas Bureau of Investigation, veröffentlicht von KSN, General Findings, PDF-S. 15
    „Credible evidence suggests a number of diocesan officials, including bishops, conspired to cover up sexual abuse allegations.“
    Summary Report to Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt from the KBI Catholic Clergy Task Force on Catholic Clergy Abuse of Children, General Findings, PDF-S. 15. Original

Response of the Church

  1. According to the report, the Church used practices intended to conceal the truth: instead of "rape" the files said "inappropriate contact"; instead of calling the police, fellow clergy investigated; parishes were told that the priest was ill or exhausted, or nothing at all.
    Evidence: Kansas Bureau of Investigation, veröffentlicht von KSN, General Findings, PDF-S. 14
    „rather than using a word such as rape, they would indicate an allegation such as inappropriate contact“
    Summary Report to Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt from the KBI Catholic Clergy Task Force on Catholic Clergy Abuse of Children, General Findings, PDF-S. 14. Original
    Evidence: Kansas Bureau of Investigation, veröffentlicht von KSN, General Findings, PDF-S. 14
    „Instead, fellow clergy members were assigned to conduct an investigation“
    Summary Report to Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt from the KBI Catholic Clergy Task Force on Catholic Clergy Abuse of Children, General Findings, PDF-S. 14. Original
    Evidence: Kansas Bureau of Investigation, veröffentlicht von KSN, General Findings, PDF-S. 14
    „Parishioners were told he was on sick leave, suffering from nervous exhaustion or similar, or nothing was said at all.“
    Summary Report to Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt from the KBI Catholic Clergy Task Force on Catholic Clergy Abuse of Children, General Findings, PDF-S. 14. Original
  2. Even when the Church had confirmed that a priest was abusing children, it often continued to pay for his housing and living expenses. Many perpetrators were not dismissed from the priesthood but transferred to a new parish, which exposed further children to abuse. In most cases the police were not informed, even when church officials knew of the acts.
    Evidence: Kansas Bureau of Investigation, veröffentlicht von KSN, General Findings, PDF-S. 14
    „even if the church substantiated that a priest was raping or sexually abusing others, including children, the church often continued to provide the priest housing and living expenses“
    Summary Report to Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt from the KBI Catholic Clergy Task Force on Catholic Clergy Abuse of Children, General Findings, PDF-S. 14. Original
    Evidence: Kansas Bureau of Investigation, veröffentlicht von KSN, General Findings, PDF-S. 14
    „many were simply transferred to a new parish and allowed a fresh start“
    Summary Report to Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt from the KBI Catholic Clergy Task Force on Catholic Clergy Abuse of Children, General Findings, PDF-S. 14. Original
    Evidence: Kansas Bureau of Investigation, veröffentlicht von KSN, General Findings, PDF-S. 14
    „in most cases sexual abuse allegation(s) were not reported to law enforcement even when church officials knew of the actions of a molester priest“
    Summary Report to Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt from the KBI Catholic Clergy Task Force on Catholic Clergy Abuse of Children, General Findings, PDF-S. 14. Original
  3. In Kansas, clergy are not among the professional groups legally obliged to report. A bill intended to change this met considerable resistance from the Catholic Church, which argued that it would endanger the seal of confession.
    Evidence: Kansas Bureau of Investigation, veröffentlicht von KSN, Canonical Law and Mandatory Reporting, PDF-S. 17
    „The list of mandatory reporters for the State of Kansas does not include any members of the clergy, no matter their religious affiliation.“
    Summary Report to Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt from the KBI Catholic Clergy Task Force on Catholic Clergy Abuse of Children, Canonical Law and Mandatory Reporting, PDF-S. 17. Original
    Evidence: Kansas Bureau of Investigation, veröffentlicht von KSN, Canonical Law and Mandatory Reporting, PDF-S. 18
    „met considerable resistance from the Catholic Church who argued it would affect the confessional’s sanctity and privacy“
    Summary Report to Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt from the KBI Catholic Clergy Task Force on Catholic Clergy Abuse of Children, Canonical Law and Mandatory Reporting, PDF-S. 18. Original

See also

Original documents to read

  1. Government report
    Kansas Bureau of Investigation, veröffentlicht von KSN: Summary Report to Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt from the KBI Catholic Clergy Task Force on Catholic Clergy Abuse of Children, 6 January 2023. Original (retrieved 22 Oct 2026)
Change log (1)

The change log is kept in German only.

  • : Aufgenommen

Last changed on 22 October 2026. Is something missing or wrong? Suggest an addition or correction.