Pope changes Church law to make reporting sex abuse obligatory The Vatican unveils stricter legislation requiring priests and religious men and women to report to the Church any suspicion of sexual assault or harassment, as well as any coverage of such acts by the Catholic hierarchy. All dioceses around the world are also required within one year to put in place a publicly accessible system for reporting potential sexual abuse, which will be reviewed within 90 days. These decisions were taken in a "motu proprio", i.e. a letter issued directly by the Pope, which amends the Church's internal legislation (canon law).