More than 400 Catholic churches and institutions have been issued subpoenas by the Nebraska attorney general's office requesting all records or information related to any child sexual assault or abuse that has occurred by those employed or associated with each church or institution, whether previously reported or not.
The Nebraska Department of Justice says it appreciates the cooperation demonstrated by the churches since they were asked last summer to voluntarily turn over records of child sex abuse dating back decades, but Peterson believes that subpoenas are necessary in order to ensure all reports of impropriety have been submitted to the appropriate authorities.
"It is our goal that all reports of abuse are subject to complete law enforcement review and investigation as warranted," the department said in a statement.
The Archdiocese of Omaha issued a statement on Tuesday saying We are aware of the subpoenas that have been issued to Nebraska Catholic schools and parishes. We are cooperating with the attorney general’s office, and we are in communication with the attorney general about the timeline to respond and the scope of the subpoena."