Report Clergy Abuse

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You have reached the District of Columbia Clergy Abuse Reporting Website, operated by the Sex Offense and Domestic Violence Section and the Victim Witness Assistance Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

If you are a survivor of child sexual abuse by a clergy member that took place in a house of worship, school, or other location in the District of Columbia, and you wish to share your experience, or you have knowledge of such abuse, please call the Clergy Abuse Reporting Line at 202-252-7008 or send an email to USADC.ReportClergyAbuse@usdoj.gov.  You will be asked to provide your full name, contact information, and the best time to reach you.

All voicemail/email messages will be reviewed and a team of criminal investigators, prosecutors, and victim advocates will determine how best to respond to each message in order to decide whether any criminal charges can be brought or victim services provided.  The victim advocates, who are part of the Victim Witness Assistance Unit, are available to offer support and guidance to survivors who wish to report the abuse, including possible referrals for counseling.  Depending on the nature of the report, some information may be referred to the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia or to law enforcement consistent with our duty to investigate criminal activity and our mandatory reporting requirements regarding allegations of child sexual abuse.  Please know that D.C. law prohibits filing criminal charges if the offense occurred outside the relevant Statute of Limitations, due to the passage of time.  Nevertheless, we encourage you to leave a message so we can receive the information you have and determine whether any criminal charges can be brought or victim services provided.

Individuals in need of police assistance or wishing to report any other criminal activity or sexual assault/abuse should call 911.          

For more information about programs available to provide counseling, treatment, or other victim support, the following websites may be helpful:

Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests: www.snapnetwork.org

Rape Abuse & Incest National Network: www.rainn.org

National Association of Adult Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse:  www.naasca.org

_{Privacy Act Statement}

_{The Clergy Abuse Reporting Line is designed to allow you to provide information to the Department of Justice to assist with its investigative mission as set forth in 28 U.SC. Part II and additional federal laws and regulations. You are not required to provide your name or other personal information to the Clergy Abuse Reporting Line; however, your failure to supply requested information may impede or preclude the investigation of your report by law enforcement agencies. By voluntarily providing information to the Clergy Abuse Reporting Line, you are consenting to the Department of Justice’s use and maintenance of the information. Any information you provide to the Clergy Abuse Reporting Line may be used for investigative purposes and may be shared as permitted by law or for other routine uses as permitted by the Privacy Act of 1974 and all applicable Routine Uses as may be published at any time in the Federal Register, including Routine Uses for Criminal Case Files (53 FR 1864) and for the District of Columbia Superior Court Division Criminal Files (54 FR 42097). Visit the Department of Justice’s Privacy Policy page for more information on the Department’s general privacy policy, or read the Department of Justice’s Privacy Act implementing regulations at 28 C.F.R. Part 16, Subparts D–E.}