Washington D.C. Opens Hotline for Survivors of Clergy Sex Abuse

By Becky Ianni, David Lorenz
Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests
October 22, 2018

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Today, the U.S. Attorney’s office for Washington D.C. has announced that they are opening an hotline and email address that survivors of clergy sex abuse and those that have knowledge of abuse can use to report their experiences.

The opening of this line of communication – directly between survivors of sexual abuse and criminal investigators – is an excellent step taken by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu. Creating this confidential avenue for survivors to report what they may have seen, suspected or suffered in Washington D.C. area gives survivors a new chance to come forward with their experiences and may potentially lead to the justice that is so often elusive for survivors of institutional sexual abuse. Given how important holding perpetrators accountable can be, both for survivors’ healing and the prevention of future cases, we hope that today’s announcement is the first step towards an independent investigation into the Archdiocese of Washington D.C.

We are especially grateful for the sensitivity that the U.S. Attorney’s office is displaying in asking for this information. They are not only interested in reports of wrongdoing, but also in helping survivors along their healing journey. In order to do so, they have put together a website that lists some resources that may be helpful to survivors and their loved ones.

We encourage anyone who may have been abused in Washington D.C. to call the U.S. Attorney’s hotline at 202-252-7008 or send an email to USADC.ReportClergyAbuse@usdoj.gov.