At least 4,815 youngsters had been sexually abused by members of the Portuguese Catholic Church – principally clergymen – over the previous 70 years, a report by the fee investigating the problem mentioned on Monday, including the findings are the tip of the iceberg.
“(We want) to pay a sincere tribute to those who were abuse victims during their childhood and dared to give a voice to silence,” mentioned little one psychiatrist Pedro Strecht, who headed the fee. “They are much more than a statistic.”
Strecht mentioned the 4,815 instances had been the “absolute minimum” variety of victims of sexual abuse by clergy members in Portugal since 1950.
Most perpetrators (77%) had been clergymen and many of the victims had been males, Strecht mentioned, including that they had been abused in Catholic colleges, church buildings, clergymen’ properties, confessionals, amongst different areas.
The majority of the sexual abuses befell when the youngsters had been aged 10-14, with the youngest sufferer being simply two-years-old.
Jose Ornelas, head of the Bishops’ Conference, attended the ultimate report’s presentation and can reply to it in a while Monday. The Church has beforehand mentioned it was ready to “take appropriate measures.”
The Portuguese Catholic Church was rocked final yr by instances of alleged cover-up of sexual abuse together with by bishops who stay lively in church roles. The fee mentioned it was making ready a listing of accused clergymen nonetheless working.
The Portuguese fee began its work in January 2022 after a report in France revealed round 3,000 clergymen and spiritual officers sexually abused over 200,000 youngsters.
The abuse allegations have come from individuals from numerous backgrounds, from each area of the nation and in addition from Portuguese nationals dwelling in different international locations in Europe, Africa and the Americas.
The fee spoke with over 500 victims, analyzed historic church paperwork and interviewed bishops and different clergy members.
A complete of 25 of the testimonies heard by the fee had been despatched to the general public prosecutors’ workplace for investigation as all others had been dedicated over 20 years in the past and authorized proceedings can not be initiated.
The fee mentioned the legislation needs to be modified so authorized proceedings may be initiated for historic crimes dedicated 30 years in the past.
The fee, which says it’s impartial, was financed by the Catholic Church. Asked by Reuters in December 2021 if that may very well be a menace to the fee’s independence, Strecht mentioned he can be the primary to stroll out and denounce it if the church intervened within the course of.
Source: www.cnn.com