ST. LOUIS (MO)
Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests
August 7, 2019
A report from the Associated Press has highlighted the incredible amount of information that has been gathered about institutional sexual abuse by investigators from the attorney general’s office in Pennsylvania. As the probe continues, now a year after the grand jury report was released, a critical element in the success of the investigation has been the existence of a confidential hotline.
We cannot stress enough the importance to survivors of having a place to share their stories where they know that they will be not only be listened to, but more importantly, where they will also be believed. Many victims, witnesses, and whistleblowers fear coming forward with information about cases of clergy abuse. There are many reasons for this fear, whether it is due to feelings of shame, or to worries of being blamed or of being singled out as a troublemaker. These reasons are examples of why having a confidential hotline where people can make reports can make such a difference in investigations into cases of institutional sexual abuse. It certainly made a difference in Pennsylvania, where the hotline set up by AG Josh Shapiro received nearly 1900 calls in one year.
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