All 196. For the first time since the adoption of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People in Dallas in June 2002, every Catholic diocese and eparchy in the United States has taken part in at least one on-site audit on the protection of minors. This is confirmed by the 2025 Annual Report of the Secretariat of Child and Youth Protection of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), the twenty-third since the document was promulgated. “The Report stands as evidence that the Church not only continues to prevent child sexual abuse and reconcile with past victims but also ensures that audits serve as effective tools for accountability and prevention”, Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City, president of the US Bishops’ Conference, writes in the preface.
Increase in allegations but 60% decline since 2021
Between 1 July 2024 and 30 June 2025, 1,070 new allegations were reported by 973 victims-survivors of child sexual abuse by clergy throughout 194 dioceses and eparchies that submitted data. This is an increase of 168 allegations compared with the previous audit year. Around 60% of allegations were received as a result of lawsuits, compensation programs and bankruptcies, which allow both those who have already reported abuse and those who have not yet come forward to access forms of compensation. Of the total, 727 allegations (68%) were submitted through an attorney, 231 were made by self-disclosure and 112 by family members, religious institutes or law enforcement agencies. Of the 117 new allegations deemed credible by dioceses, three may have involved minors, while the others were submitted by adults reporting abuse suffered when they were minors.
The total costs incurred by dioceses for abuse-related cases reached 389.9 million dollars in the 2025 fiscal year, an increase of 61%, with 276 million allocated to compensation for victims.
The slight rise in the number of allegations does not alter the broader trend. “The 2025 audit year indicates a slight increase in the number of allegations compared to 2024. However, a review of data for five consecutive years shows a decrease of more than 60% compared to 2021 and more than 50% compared to 2022”, says James Bogner, chairman of the National Review Board, the lay advisory body established by the bishops in 2002. During the same period, dioceses provided pastoral support to 150 new victims and their families, while continuing to accompany 1,331 people whose cases had emerged in previous years.
One non-compliant diocese, issues with three articles
StoneBridge Business Partners, the independent company entrusted with the audits, carried out 36 in-person visits and 25 remote audits, for a total of 61 inspections between March and December 2025, collecting data from a further 133 dioceses. Only one was found to be non-compliant: the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux, Louisiana, because it had failed to convene its Diocesan Review Board since 17 October 2023. Following the audit, the body was reconvened, restoring compliance with Article 2 of the Charter. Two eparchies could not be included in the Report – the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Parma and the Syriac Catholic Eparchy of Our Lady of Deliverance – for they did not participate in either inspections or data collection.
Of the 89 alleged perpetrators classified, 89% are deceased, already removed from ministry, laicised or missing; another 10 priests or deacons were permanently removed from ministry in 2025.
On the prevention front, 2,320,143 criminal background checks were carried out, while 2,328,545 adults and 2,803,250 children and young people completed training programmes on warning signs. “The end goal of safeguarding work is not just the protection of children and vulnerable persons, but also the formation and strengthening of a culture of safety within an ecclesial context”, writes Deacon Bernie Nojadera, executive director of the Secretariat. The most recurring concerns, identified in more than 10% of audits, involved Articles 2, 12 and 13: review boards, training and background checks for those working with minors. In 2027, the document will mark its twenty-fifth anniversary. “It is urgent to root in the whole Church a culture of prevention that does not tolerate any form of abuse – neither of power or authority, nor abuse of conscience, spiritual or sexual abuse. This culture will only be authentic if it is born of active vigilance, of transparent processes and sincere listening to those who have been hurt”, the bishops write, quoting Pope Leo XIV in the conclusion of the Report.
