KANSAS CITY, Kansas — The Wyandotte County District Attorney has decided not to retry a Catholic priest who was charged with molesting a young girl.
Father Scott Kallal was charged with two counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child after a mother reported in July 2017 that he had inappropriately touched her 11-year-old daughter at St. Patrick Catholic School in Kansas City, Kansas.
A Wyandotte County jury could not reach a verdict after a trial in September 2019. Prosecutors said at the time they intended to retry Kallal.
The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas said in a statement Wednesday that the district attorney had decided to dismiss charges against Kallal.
The diocese said Kallal will remain on a leave of absence while a review board investigates the case. Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann will ultimately decide Kallal’s future.
A spokesperson for the Wyandotte County District Attorney’s office said attorneys consulted with the child’s family and decided it was not in her best interest to try the case a second time, KSHB-TV reported.
