The Washington, D.C., Attorney General’s office is opening an investigation into alleged sexual abuse by the Catholic clergy in the district’s archdiocese.
Attorney General Karl A. Racine made the announcement at a breakfast for the District’s elected officials on Tuesday, according to The Washington Post.
{mosads}The Hill has reached out to the attorney general’s office for additional comment.
The Post notes that Racine has limited power to prosecute crimes. But it adds that the attorney general is probing the Catholic clergy as part of his authorization to enforce city law governing nonprofit groups.
The investigation comes as the Catholic church falls under increasing scrutiny over its handling of sexual abuse complaints.
Washington Cardinal Donald Wuerl resigned earlier this month over his role in the cover-up of multiple sexual abuse scandals. Wuerl had faced heavy pressure after a 900-page report released by a Pennsylvania grand jury detailed sexual abuse by priests while Wuerl served as bishop of Pittsburgh.
He also faced allegations that he covered up sexual abuse accusations against Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, who was also his predecessor as archbishop of D.C.
McCarrick was removed from the ministry in June after investigators determined allegations he had sexually abused a minor were credible.
Racine said on a local radio program in August that his office has been “burning up” with calls requesting that his office investigate how the Catholic Church handled abuse allegations against the clergy in D.C.
The D.C. U.S. Attorney’s Office Victim Witness Assistance Unit and the D.C. Superior Court Division’s Sex Offense and Domestic Violence Section on Monday launched a hotline for survivors of sexual abuse by the clergy.