CV NEWS FEED // The United States Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB)’s latest 2023 annual report from the Secretariat of Child and Youth Protection has revealed a historic downward trend in reported clergy minor sex abuse cases.
According to the Secretariat’s report released on May 29, the total number of reported sex abuse cases for the year was 1,208—a decrease of 1,396 since last year, when the total number of cases reported was 2,704.
“This valuable information collected communicates the reality of the pain and trauma experienced by a child,” USCCB President and Archbishop for the Military Services, Timothy Broglio wrote in his forward to the report, adding: “I am deeply sorry for their suffering.”
This year’s annual report is based on audit findings of special consulting firm StoneBridge Business Partners, “which provides forensic, internal, and compliance audit services to leading organizations nationwide,” according to a USCCB press release.
The report is the twenty-first of its kind since 2002, when the USCCB established and adopted its Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. The Charter’s guidelines outline proactive safety measures for the protection of minors, and establish protocols for addressing abuse allegations.
According to the USCCB, 100% of dioceses and eparchies in the US participated in the audits.
In its release, the USCCB noted that the decrease in abuse cases this year was “due in part to the resolution of allegations received as a result of lawsuits, compensation programs, and bankruptcies.”
Furthermore, the release continued, minors made up 17 of the reported allegations, while the rest were made by adults about events which occurred when they were minors, years ago.
Broglio concluded his forward by emphasizing the Church’s duty to “continue working toward the goal of ending the scourge of child sexual abuse, not only in the Church but in society.”
