New Jersey hotline to report abuse in Catholic Church inundated with calls, attorney general says

A hotline the New Jersey attorney general set up to report sexual abuse within the Catholic Church has been "ringing off the hook" for nearly two weeks, the state's top prosecutor said.

"We've had to put extra resources into taking those calls," Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said Tuesday. "We're triaging those complaints for follow-up. If there's something that requires immediate follow-up, hypothetically someone alleging current abuse, that moves to the top of the list."

Grewal would not characterize the nature of the calls his office has received, including whether any of the callers alleged ongoing misconduct.

On Sept. 6, Grewal announced that his office was forming a task force led by a veteran sex-crimes prosecutor to investigate any claims of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy in New Jersey, as well as any evidence that the church attempted to cover up misconduct.

Read more: https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/new-jersey/2018/09/18/nj-hotline-overwhelmed-calls-sex-abuse-catholic-church/1346758002/