Q & A
The below questions and answers are from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Child and Youth Protection site. If you have additional questions regarding making a report, please contact Leah Heffernan, director of the office of child and youth protection at (815) 221-6116 or [email protected].
-
Call your local police department. Reassure your child that he/she did nothing wrong and that he/she did the right thing by telling you. You may want to find a child counselor experienced in child abuse matters. If you or someone you know is a victim of sexual abuse by church personnel of the Diocese of Joliet, you may also call the Diocese of Joliet’s Victim Assistance Coordinator at (815) 263-6467.
-
Listen to your gut. Offenders give warning signs that knowledgeable adults can use; your gut often picks them up. You are not accusing someone of abuse, you are communicating your concern about inappropriate behavior. Let the diocesan Victim Assistance Coordinator or the volunteer’s pastor, principal, or supervisor know of your concerns. Keep reporting your concerns until someone hears you. Your courage to report those types of incidents may be very helpful. Reporting can let the person know their behavior is unacceptable, and it lets them know they are being watched. If it is poor judgment, this gives the person the opportunity to change the behavior.
-
Yes. What happened to you was wrong and a crime. It was not your fault. You have the right to call the police to report the crime. You are also encouraged to make a report to the Diocese of Joliet through our Victim Assistance Coordinator at (815) 263-6467. You can get help and healing for the pain you have suffered.
-
Yes, please call the Diocese of Joliet’s Victim Assistance Coordinator at (815) 263-6467. They can help you get started. You can get help and healing for the pain you have suffered.
-
You are not required to report past abuse to the police, but you are encouraged to do so. There are many reasons someone might not want to report to the police. However, the Church still wants to know about any incidents of church personnel abuse. Please report it to the diocese even if you do not want to report it to the police. The Church is required to report all abuse to the public that has happened to a minor.
