PORTUGAL: CHURCH SEX ABUSE PANEL UNEARTHS MORE THAN 200 CASES

Fri 11 February 2022:

Since its launch a month ago, more than 200 alleged victims of child sexual abuse in the Portuguese Catholic Church have contacted the commission to share their stories.

People born between 1933 and 2006, from diverse backgrounds, from all regions of the country, as well as Portuguese nationals residing abroad, have made complaints of abuse.

The panel stated in a statement on Thursday that many of the 214 individuals who have volunteered their stories identified other children who may have been harmed by the same perpetrator.

“The allegations reveal suffering … which, in some cases, has been hidden for decades,” the commission said. “For many, this is the first time they are breaking their silence.”

It started its work in early January after a major report by a commission in France revealed last year approximately 3,000 priests and religious officials sexually abused more than 200,000 children during the past 70 years.

It also followed pressure from prominent Portuguese Catholics to lift the veil of silence that had surrounded the issue.

Only about a dozen claims of sexual assault involving Portuguese priests had been probed by authorities since 2001, according to Portuguese church officials two years ago.

More than half of those charges were abandoned due to a lack of evidence, according to church investigators.

The six-member committee is mostly sponsored by the Roman Catholic Church, but its leader, child psychiatrist Pedro Strecht, has stated that if the Church sought to intervene in the process, he would be the first to walk out.

The commission, which has its own website and phone number, relied on alleged victims coming forward, as well as dioceses providing access to historical files. By the end of the year, they hoped to present the report.

Because the majority of the statements were submitted over the internet, the committee has increased its efforts to contact people in less developed parts of the country who may be unfamiliar with technology.

To assist spread the message, it has enlisted the help of charities, civic organisations, and parish councils, among others.

NEWS AGENCIES

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

FOLLOW INDEPENDENT PRESS:

TWITTER (CLICK HERE)
https://twitter.com/IpIndependent