Lansing, MI - Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel released a statement in response to the civil settlement announced Thursday July 2, 2021 between the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) and more than 60,000 individuals who sued the organization over alleged sexual abuse.
The following statement is in response to the $850 million civil settlement:
This historic settlement is an acknowledgement from the Boy Scouts of America of the pain inflicted on thousands of scouts across the country. While this may bring resolution for those involved in the civil litigation, our criminal work is just beginning in Michigan. We must ensure abusers never again have an opportunity to prey on others, and the best way to achieve that is through a criminal investigation. I continue to encourage people with information related to sexual abuse perpetrated in our state to contact the Department of Attorney General’s Boy Scouts of America investigation hotline. It is our job to secure additional justice for survivors, which in turn will better protect society from criminals who hide behind their positions of authority to abuse others. It doesn’t matter if it occurred last month or years ago—you deserve to be heard and we’re here to listen."
Last month, Nessel released a public service announcement (PSA) focused on the new joint investigation between the Michigan Department of Attorney General and Michigan State Police, urging abuse survivors to share their stories in order to pursue criminal charges.
The agencies first announced the investigation at the beginning of June.
In January, Nessel learned 1,700 sex-abuse claims filed in BSA’s ongoing bankruptcy case were in Michigan. The Department now believes there may be as many as 3,000 victims.
If you have information about the Boy Scouts of America that you think would help, please call the investigation hotline at 844-324-3374 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Tips can be left anonymously.
Portions of this project are funded in part by Grant No. WE AX 0030 awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this publication/program/exhibition are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women.