Statement of Bishop Shawn McKnight regarding the Missouri attorney general’s report
Bishop W. Shawn McKnight of the Diocese of Jefferson City issued the following statement Sept. 13 upon the release of a report on clergy sexual abuse by the Missouri Attorney General:
“I look forward to a careful review of the report released by Attorney General Eric Schmitt today. It is my sincere hope the report assists the Catholic Church in Missouri in achieving our goals of accountability and transparency, while respecting the legal standards for privacy of all affected by the report.
“In providing unfettered access, we wanted to understand if there were any cases of abuse of which we were unaware and/or that when warranted, had not been reported to law enforcement. Second, we wanted this investigation to help restore trust in the Catholic Church.
“I will take into consideration the recommendations from the report on how we can improve our efforts to keep our children safe and in healthy environments.”
The Diocese of Jefferson City's list of credibly accused clergy and religious is available on its website.
