Sakoda said that some of the callers are concerned Catholics looking for ways to help. Others are survivors or family members of survivors of sexual assault who have been shaken by some of the priests’ names in the report.
“My abuser’s on the list, you know, what should I do? Or they’re saying, ‘My abuser isn’t on the list, what should I do?’ ” Sakoda said.
For many of the callers, justice in Pennsylvania is out of reach.
Laws in Pennsylvania bar anyone over the age of 30 from filing a civil lawsuit against a child sex abuser. And a criminal case involving child sex abuse must be started before the victim is 50 years old.
According to University of Pennsylvania professor Marci Hamilton, those are some of the most outdated child-abuse laws in the country. Her advocacy group called Child USA has found that the average age of someone coming forward to report child abuse is 52.
“For the state of Pennsylvania to be stuck on an age limit on being able to press charges is unusual at this point and puts them definitely in the minority,” Hamilton said.
Sometimes, the problem has nothing to do with an old abuse case being legally expired. Some abusers have died, or victims are unable to testify, making it impossible for prosecutors to assemble a criminal case.
Yet for some of those picking up the phone, a remedy in the court system is not the end goal. Hamilton said talking to someone about early childhood abuse can be cathartic and can help a survivor advance beyond it. But she said the experience of talking about it with a stranger can cut the other way, too.
“Well now they have to make a decision, ‘Do I tell my wife? Do I tell my children? Do I now talk to the media like the other survivors are doing?’ ” Hamilton said.