Reporting Abuse
As of July 1, 2012, Georgia law states that all employees, volunteers, and clergy are Mandatory Reporters and are required to report any suspected child abuse or neglect. All suspected child abuse must be immediately reported but in no case later than 24 hours from the time there is reasonable cause to believe a child has been abused. The report should be made immediately to the Supervisor of the Parish or School (Pastor or Principal) and the Department of Family and Children Services (DFCS).
If the allegation of abuse involves a member of the clergy, employee, or volunteer of the Archdiocese of Atlanta, please contact the Office of Child and Youth Protection during business hours or the Archdiocesan 24 hour Abuse Reporting line at 1-888-437-0764.
In 2019, Pope Francis issued Vos Estis Lux Mundi, which contained a call for the church to establish a way for people to report abuse by bishops. The service set up in the United States is called the Catholic Bishop Abuse Service. There is a hotline number and website where people can report abuse.
This service has been created to gather and relay reports of sexual misconduct involving bishops of the United States, and reports of their intentional interference in a sexual abuse investigation. If you wish to report any other kind of misconduct by a bishop, please contact your local diocese or eparchy instead.
If you wish to report sexual abuse by a priest, deacon, religious brother or sister, or layperson working for the Church, please contact instead the Victim Assistance Coordinator in your local diocese or eparchy. If your report involves a crime committed by anyone connected with the Church, please also contact the police.
You can make a report online at https://reportbishopabuse.org/ or call (800) 276-1562.
