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According to projections by a commission of inquiry, 216,000 children and young people in the Catholic Church in France have been victims of sexual abuse since the 1950s.
Paris – In the Catholic Church in France, 216,000 children and young people have been victims of sexual abuse since the 1950s, according to projections by a commission of inquiry. Including the facilities run by the church, it is assumed that 330,000 victims, said the President of the Independent Abuse Commission in the Church (CIASE), Jean-Marc Sauvé, on Tuesday in Paris. 80 percent of the victims were boys between the ages of 10 and 13, and 20 percent girls of different age groups. The acts were rape in almost a third of the cases.
“The numbers are staggering and cannot remain without consequences,” said the Commission President. The victims suffered suffering, isolation and often shame and guilt. Almost half of them still suffered from the consequences even after many years. The founder of the victims’ association “La Parole Libérée”, François Devaux, warned the Church when presenting the report, which was eagerly awaited in France: “You have to pay for all these crimes.” It will be about billions. (dpa)