Really need advice/support from anyone who has gone through this or has ideas about reporting historic abuse
I'm in the USA, have a therapist I've been working with for years, and often I get to the point of wanting to report the abuse in order to stay alive. It's been something I've been debating with my therapist for close to a year now. I deal with heavy dissociation and often forget then remember on and off again. When I remembered this last time, the extent of the abuse, my initial thought was feeling that urgency to report.
The issue is the abuse involves multiple perpetrators that I don't know. I am only certain of two perpetrators and both are still active in church activities and with kids. I don't trust the church. I am extremely anxious about reporting to police. I have read you can submit anonymous tips to WeTip or Crimestoppers or even the FBI (I believe I could have been a victim of a child abuse ring but there's no corroborating evidence). However, I am worried my information is too vague, and doing it anonymously will most likely not result in anything. My main reason for reporting would be to see if they could investigate, on the chances there is evidence of current abuse, or at least to serve as some acknowledgement and as a way to corroborate if there are other victims.
I feel this is extremely urgent now because one of the abusers I have had several flashbacks of, a priest, is going on a pilgrimage out of country with a group of people and I'm worried there are minors who will be present. I don't know if it's stupid to want to warn the group leaders (I don't have that info though of who's going). The priest is active at a parish still. There are no allegations that the Diocese knows of and the few people I've talked with at church eventually knew my name (I had wanted to stay anonymous but couldn't after some time due to proximity and small town).
I don't know if it's silly to try to give a warning about the priest. To do it anonymously to the current parish he is at, or to report through other ways like anonymous tip lines. I don't know the right path. I decided not to report officially through the church after being told by someone employed there that the priest who I named is a "good man".
But because I messed up and the few people working for the Diocese know my name and story and saw me in person... is it all messed up already where I can't truly be anonymous because the local police (if they investigate) will ask the Diocese and my name could be known anyway?
Posted Sep 11, 2026, 3:35 PM UTC