Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Robert Witkowski

This is an overview of Robert Witkowski’s clerical assignments, publicly reported and credible sexual abuse allegations, as well as the institutional actions taken against him, as part of the Injury Lawyer Team’s work representing survivors of clergy abuse.

• Primary Entity Name: Robert Witkowski
• Common Variations / Aliases: Fr. Robert Witkowski, Father Robert J. Witkowski, Rev. Robert Witkowski
• Role/Title at Time of Incident: Catholic parish priest and hospital chaplain
• Current Status: Deceased

Public Identification and Clergy Status

Fr. Robert J. Witkowski was publicly identified as a Catholic priest against whom credible allegations of sexual abuse of minors were reported following internal Church review, including disclosure by the Archdiocese of Detroit and coverage by independent media outlets.

Church authorities also confirmed that the matter was referred to civil authorities, specifically to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office, as part of a broader clergy abuse investigation in Michigan. Public reporting later identified a New Jersey civil lawsuit naming Witkowski and another priest in connection with alleged abuse occurring outside Michigan.

• Entity that Listed Him: Archdiocese of Detroit
• Reason for Listing: Credible allegations of sexual abuse of minors

Key Status Facts

Ordination Year: 1961

Years in Active Ministry: 1961–2013

Locations Where He Served: Archdiocese of Detroit (MI)

Restrictions: Restricted from all public ministry in October 2018, including a prohibition on performing clerical functions and wearing clerical attire

Laicization: No public record indicating laicization

Died: May 10, 2021

Public Disclosure: Publicly named by the Archdiocese of Detroit in 2018

Assignment History

Primary Archdiocese: Archdiocese of Detroit

Parish Assignments (as documented in public reports):

• St. Matthew Parish – Detroit, MI (1961–1966)
• Our Lady Queen of Heaven – Detroit, MI (1966–1969)
• St. Mary Magdalen – Melvindale, MI (1976–1980)
• Our Lady Star of the Sea – Grosse Pointe Woods, MI (1980–1981)
• St. Lawrence – Utica, MI (1981–1985)
• St. Raymond – Detroit, MI (1985–1991)
• St. Edmund – Warren, MI (1991–2013)

Non-Church Assignments: Served in hospital and medical chaplaincy roles at Detroit-area medical facilities, including Herman Kiefer Hospital and Detroit Osteopathic Hospital, during the late 1960s and 1970s.

Known Allegations

Publicly reported allegations against Robert Witkowski center on claims of sexual abuse of minors during the early years of his priestly ministry, when he held parish and institutional roles within the Archdiocese of Detroit. 

The alleged misconduct occurred decades before it was formally reported, a delay consistent with patterns seen in historical clergy abuse cases.

The matter came to the attention of Church officials after multiple individuals independently reported abuse, prompting the Archdiocese of Detroit to initiate its internal review process. The allegations were examined by the Archdiocesan Review Board, which concluded that the claims met the Archdiocese’s standard for credibility. 

That determination led to Witkowski’s removal from public ministry and the imposition of permanent restrictions on his clerical functions in October 2018.

Church officials stated that the allegations were also referred to civil authorities and reviewed by the Wayne County Prosecutor as part of a statewide investigation led by the Michigan Attorney General. Although no criminal charges were publicly announced, subsequent reporting referenced a civil lawsuit filed in New Jersey in December 2019. 

That lawsuit alleged that Witkowski, along with Rev. Thomas Ganley, sexually abused a boy between the ages of 13 and 16, and other minors, at St. Cecilia Church in Iselin, New Jersey, during the early 1990s.

Following these disclosures, the Archdiocese publicly named Witkowski and confirmed that he remained barred from public ministry until his death in 2021.

Summary: Multiple allegations of sexual abuse dating to the early years of Robert Witkowski’s ministry were deemed credible by the Archdiocese of Detroit, leading to his removal from public ministry in 2018 and permanent restriction from clerical functions.

Overseeing Authorities During Key Periods

• Cardinal John Dearden – Archdiocese of Detroit
• Cardinal Edmund C. Szoka – Archdiocese of Detroit
• Cardinal Adam J. Maida – Archdiocese of Detroit

Institutional Actions and Review

After allegations concerning Robert Witkowski were formally brought to the attention of Church officials in 2018, the Archdiocese of Detroit initiated its established internal review process. The matter was referred to the Archdiocesan Review Board, which evaluated the substance of the reports and concluded that the allegations met the Archdiocese’s standard for credibility.

Following that determination, Church authorities took administrative action in October 2018, removing Witkowski from public ministry and imposing permanent restrictions that barred him from exercising clerical functions and required that the matter proceed through a further review under canon law. 

The Archdiocese also confirmed that the allegations were shared with civil authorities during the Michigan Attorney General’s statewide investigation into clergy sexual abuse, which included the execution of search warrants at Catholic dioceses across the state.

Available public records do not indicate that the allegations were documented or addressed during Witkowski’s earlier parish assignments, nor is there evidence that prior complaints were recorded in his personnel file or communicated during transfers. 

The Archdiocese did not publicly identify him until after the internal review was completed, at which point his name was released and added to the Archdiocese’s official list of Michigan clergy with credible allegations.

Witkowski remained under these restrictions for the remainder of his life, with no reinstatement or reassignment occurring before his death in 2021.

Timeline

1961 — Ordained as a Catholic priest for the Archdiocese of Detroit

1961–2013 — Served in various parish and institutional assignments within the Archdiocese of Detroit

1969–1975 — Served in hospital and medical chaplaincy roles at Detroit-area medical facilities, including Herman Kiefer Hospital and Detroit Osteopathic Hospital

Early years of ministry (approx. 1960s–1970s) — Alleged sexual abuse of minors reportedly occurred during parish and institutional assignments

Early 1990s — Civil allegations later filed in New Jersey allege sexual abuse connected to parish-related access at St. Cecilia Church in Iselin, New Jersey

2013 — Retired as a senior priest

2018 — Allegations formally reported to the Archdiocese of Detroit

October 2018 — Determined credible by the Archdiocesan Review Board; removed from public ministry and permanently restricted from clerical functions

October 2018 — Allegations referred to civil authorities during a statewide clergy abuse investigation in Michigan

2018 — Publicly disclosed and added to the Archdiocese of Detroit’s list of clergy with credible allegations

May 10, 2021 — Died while under permanent restriction from ministry

Speak With an Attorney

If you or someone you know was sexually abused by Fr. Robert Witkowski or another Catholic clergy member in Michigan, you may still have legal options. The Injury Lawyer Team represents survivors of clergy abuse throughout the state.

Contact us to schedule a confidential consultation with a Michigan clergy abuse attorney to discuss your rights and potential next steps.

Sources and Public Records

This page draws from a combination of independent journalism, official Church disclosures, civil court reporting, and long-standing abuse documentation projects, including the following:

• The Archdiocese of Detroit’s official list of clergy with credible allegations, captured in a 2019 public disclosure document, where Robert Witkowski appears with his clerical status and confirmation that he was restricted from ministry following internal review.
• The BishopAccountability.org profile for Robert Witkowski, which consolidates Church disclosures, media reporting, ordination, and assignment history.
• Associated Press reporting, which documents the Archdiocese of Detroit’s 2018 determination that allegations against Witkowski were credible, as well as his subsequent restriction from public ministry.
• Local investigative reporting, which provides additional detail beyond national coverage, including confirmation that multiple individuals came forward, and that the allegations were reviewed earlier in 2018.

No criminal conviction is implied unless explicitly stated in official court records or confirmed by law enforcement or judicial authorities.

All content undergoes thorough legal review by experienced attorneys, including Jonathan Rosenfeld. With 25 years of experience in personal injury law and over 100 years of combined legal expertise within our team, we ensure that every article is legally accurate, compliant, and reflects current legal standards.