The CAIR Process of Reporting

Allegations of sexual abuse of a minor by a member of a religious congregation follow the below process:

• Each Religious Congregation is required to have their own process to address the receipt of allegations of the sexual abuse of minors. For that reason, each allegation that the Office for Child Abuse Investigations and Review (CAIR) receives in relation to a member of a religious congregation is forwarded to the appropriate person within the congregation.
• CAIR will assist you by contacting the religious order, determining the appropriate person for you to contact and coordinating communication between you and that person.

Allegations of sexual abuse of a minor by a lay employee or volunteer of the Archdiocese of Chicago follow the below process:

• The person reporting abuse is invited to contact or is directed to the Office for Child Abuse Investigations and Review (CAIR).
• You will be invited to formalize your allegation with CAIR, who will also be accompanied by a member of the Office of Assistance Ministry. If you choose, you may bring whomever you would like to have with you during this meeting, such as a friend or family member, spouse, attorney, and/or therapist.
• During the meeting, you will be asked to provide information about your background (i.e. your family, where you grew up, school and employment history) and information regarding the incident or incidents of abuse.
• The representative from the Office of Assistance Ministry will provide you with information about resources and services that may be available to you.
• The information that you share will be recorded and returned to you in the form of a typed draft for your review.
• If the accused is alive, the intent will be for a member of the CAIR team to present your allegation to the accused and ask for his/her response. A copy of the report of your allegation will be given to the accused.
• In cases where the accused is a current employee or volunteer in the Archdiocese of Chicago, the investigation of the matter will continue as determinations are made as to the accused’s ability to be employed or volunteer in the Archdiocese of Chicago.