Diocese of Spokane Responds to Attorney General’s Office Subpoena

PRESS RELEASE

May 9, 2024

The Attorney General for the State of Washington has issued a subpoena to the Archdiocese of Seattle, the Diocese of Yakima and the Diocese of Spokane with the stated goal of determining how the Catholic Church in Washington has dealt with cases of sexual abuse. The scope of the subpoena reaches back to 1940.

The Attorney General intends on sharing an account of the historic acts of abuse. It is important to note that this accounting for the Diocese of Spokane has already been made public in a variety of ways over the past two decades. The litigation associated with the Chapter 11 process clearly revealed how the Diocese of Spokane dealt with all historic cases of sexual abuse. The Diocese of Spokane is unaware of any new cases of child sexual abuse. If someone has information to the contrary, contact law enforcement immediately.

The Diocese of Spokane maintains its commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from acts of abuse. The Office of Child and Youth Protection regularly reviews safe environment policies, procedures and protocols that are clearly communicated to the faithful throughout eastern Washington.

Bishop Daly echoes the words of Pope Francis to survivors of abuse: “Words cannot fully express our sorrow for the abuse you suffered and I am profoundly sorry that your innocence was violated by those you trusted.”

The zeal of the Attorney General for protecting children from sexual abuse and supporting survivors is laudatory. We hope this exercise will extend to additional institutions which serve children such as other religious organizations and the public schools in Washington State.

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