Of the claims processed so far, none involve active clergy, Vaskov tells CNN. He says all the allegations date prior to 1990 and as far back as the 1940s.
“This is consistent with our previous statement that 90 percent of the incidents of abuse in the Diocese of Pittsburgh occurred before 1990,” Vaskov wrote in an email to CNN.
The claims were reported to the diocese through a hotline established by the church and via email. The allegations are new and were made by people who had not previously contacted the diocese, says Vaskov.
None of the new allegations have yet been turned over to prosecutors, according to the district attorney’s office in Allegheny County.
Mike Manko, the spokesman for the district attorney, told CNN he was “not aware of any new referrals.”
Support hotlines have seen a rise in calls
In addition to the dozens of new allegations, reporting hotlines set up for survivors of clerical abuse have also seen a rise.
Since the release of the Pennsylvania grand jury report, the clergy abuse hotline maintained by the office of Attorney General Josh Shapiro has received 485 calls, according to Joe Grace, communications director for the attorney general.
The calls are being returned around the clock, “day and night,” by agents, says Grace. The agent listens to the caller’s claim, gathers facts and then determines if further investigation is appropriate.
According to Grace, a “sizable number” of calls are regarding allegations of child sexual abuse by clergy.
Judy Jones, SNAP’s Midwest leader, told CNN calls always spike after news of clerical abuse comes to light. And as heartbreaking as it is, she says, the uncovering of such horrors helps empower other victims to tell their stories.
“I know of many victims who are so excited that this grand jury report came out, because it’s like their stories are not hidden away anymore,” she says. “They are being believed by a grand jury, and they’re starting to be believed by fellow Catholics who are angry that this behavior was being hidden.”
“This isn’t over,” she said.
Source : CNN