UPDATED: Subpoenas issued to Catholic churches in Lincoln, Lancaster County

Nebraska officials have subpoenaed more than 400 Roman Catholic churches and institutions in the state seeking any records related to child sexual assault or abuse.

The move was announced Tuesday by the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office, which had last summer asked Nebraska’s three Catholic diocese to voluntarily turn over records of child sex abuse dating back decades.

The office says the Nebraska Department of Justice appreciates the churches’ voluntary cooperation, but believes “subpoenas are necessary in order to ensure all reports of impropriety have been submitted to the appropriate authorities.”   

The subpoenas seek all records or information related to any child sexual abuse that has occurred by those employed or associated with each church or institution, whether previously reported or not.     

In a statement to Channel 8 Eyewitness News, a spokeswoman for the Attorney General’s Office said the subpoenas were  comprehensive,” and include churches and organizations in Lincoln and Lancaster County.

A request for comment to the Diocese of Lincoln was returned Tuesday night.

“The Diocese has voluntarily cooperated with the investigation since it was announced last September,
and pledged its ongoing support to stop criminal behavior by predators,” the Diocese said in a statement. “The Diocese of Lincoln
is reviewing the subpoena it received today.”