Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry’s office says it doesn’t have the authority to launch a broad, multi-parish investigation into Catholic Church sex abuse allegations, NOLA.com reports, though a handful of attorneys general in other states are pursuing such inquiries.
Landry’s office said Catholic clergy sex abuse allegations in Louisiana need to be initially handled by local district attorneys and law enforcement in keeping with state law. A local district attorney could choose to hand over individual cases to Landry, but even that wouldn’t allow a statewide investigation into multiple allegations from different communities unless all of the relevant cases were relinquished to the attorney general.
A years-long investigation into Catholic Church abuse in Pennsylvania conducted by that state’s attorney general has led top prosecutors in other states to consider their own inquiries. Attorneys general in New York and New Jersey are now pursuing similar investigations, according to news reports Thursday. Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley has also publicly announced he will do the same.
However, Landry isn’t the only attorney general to say he doesn’t have the power to launch a statewide probe into Catholic Church sex abuse. Several told The Washington Post last month they also lack the authority. Like Landry, a few claimed their state constitutions only allow local authorities to pursue such charges initially.
Since NOLA.com published its story, Landry has released a statement saying the story was not accurate, and that “the headline and entire tone of the story smacked of blatant, religious bigotry.”
“To be absolutely clear and accurate: to date, since I have been attorney general, my office has not received one single complaint against any clergyman of the Catholic Church in the state of Louisiana or any referrals from a local district attorney which is required under law for my office to initiate a prosecution,” Landry says.
“As someone who has successfully won court case after court case on the separation of powers,” he continues “I have no inclination of overstepping my constitutional authority or doing the Legislature’s job.”
