The Portuguese commission that investigates sexual abuse by members of the Catholic Church revealed that 4,815 children have been victims since 1950. The investigators heard about 500 complaints, although only 25 of them were sent to the Prosecutor’s Office because the others prescribed for having happened more than 30 years ago.
More than 4,800 children would have been victims of sexual abuse by members of the Portuguese Catholic Church, according to a report published on February 13 by a commission that investigates these events. The researchers cautioned that the findings might just be the tip of the iceberg.
“In our report there is a preponderance of male victims, but contrary to other studies, there is a significant number of female victims. There are 52.47% of male victims. The majority are people who have completed higher education, 32% have a degree, but there is also a group of people, 18%, who have not completed higher education. The average age of onset of sexual abuse is 11.2 years,” said Pedro Strecht, head of the Independent Commission.
These abuses were committed since 1950 by members of the clergy, according to Strecht, who stated that “the main places where sexual abuse has been committed are, in descending order: seminaries, schools, boarding schools and institutions managed by the Church, confessionals, sacristies, the parish house, with the evolution of outdoor spaces over time. With certain peaks in the 21st century with scouting or outdoor activities. The abusers are 96% male and 77% of them were priests at the time of the events.”
The report alleges that most of the sexual abuse took place when the children were between 10 and 14 years old, and the youngest victim was only two years old.
Hans Zoller, in charge of the Vatican to deal with cases of sexual abuse of minors, attended the event in Lisbon where he affirmed that this is “a day of recognition of the pain of so many people who have been hurt before. It is a day of sadness for them, for their family members, their friends, because it has become clear that they have carried so much pain, so many wounds, so much anger for so many years and they were not recognized in it. But paradoxically, it is also a day of hope because it is seen that now they have been given a voice, that we know more about this reality that has been inflicted on so many people.”
For his part, José Ornelas, Bishop of Fátima and president of the Portuguese Episcopal Conference, said in response to the complaints that “it is a dramatic situation that we are experiencing and it is difficult to overcome it, even if we had no illusions about what would come out of this report. But above all I have a thought for the victims because it is for them that we are doing this. A big thank you to the commission that has allowed us to bring to light the situation we are experiencing.”
In the presentation of the report, Strecht mentioned that they want to pay “a sincere tribute to those who were victims of abuse during their childhood and dared to give voice to the silence” and added “they are much more than a statistic”.
Details of the investigation that plagues the Portuguese Church
After a report was released in 2022 that revealed that some 3,000 priests and religious sexually abused some 200,000 children, the Portuguese commission, although independent but financed by the Catholic Church itself, began its investigations in January of that year.
The clergy of that country had reports of cases of alleged cover-up of sexual abuse last year, including by bishops who are still practicing. The commission announced that it is preparing a list of the accused priests who are still active in their ecclesiastical functions.
Reports of abuse have come from people of various origins, from all regions of the country and also from Portuguese living in other countries in Europe, Africa and America.
Investigators managed to speak with more than 500 victims, analyzed historical documents of the Church and managed to conduct interviews with bishops and other members of the clergy.
After the investigations, only 25 of the testimonies were sent to the Prosecutor’s Office for investigation, because all the others prescribed, since they were committed more than 20 years ago and it is not possible to initiate legal proceedings.
For the commission, the law should be modified so that the authorities can take action on the matter in crimes of this type committed 30 years ago.
The Portuguese bishops will meet in March to draw conclusions from the report and “to rid the Church of this scourge as far as possible”, according to what Father Manuel Barbosa, one of the main members of the Portuguese Episcopal Conference, CEP, declared in January. .
Pope Francis has had to face strong pressure after thousands of allegations of sexual abuse within the Catholic Church have come to light around the world. Francisco promised in 2019 to eradicate pedophilia from the institution.
After the wave of complaints, investigations have been opened in several countries in addition to Portugal, including Australia, France, Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands.
Victims, “disgusted” by the Catholic Church
Among the multiple complaints is that of ‘Alexandra’, a 43-year-old woman who requested anonymity and who alleges she was raped by a priest while she was confessing when she was a novice nun at the age of 17.
Alexandra, who is now a mother and works as a kitchen helper, says that “it is very difficult to talk about these things in Portugal”, a country where 80 percent of the population declares itself Catholic. She added: “I kept it a secret for many years But it was getting harder and harder for me to deal with it alone.”
That the bishops ask for forgiveness means nothing to me
Only three years ago she made the decision and denounced her attacker before the ecclesiastical authorities, but, according to her, she was “ignored”, the responsible bishop sent her complaint to the Vatican, but Alexandra still has not received a response.
In April 2022, Manuel Clemente, Cardinal of Lisbon and Portugal’s highest prelate, expressed his willingness to “acknowledge the mistakes of the past” and ask the victims for “forgiveness”. But for Alexandra this is not enough: “That the bishops ask for forgiveness means nothing to me. We don’t know if they mean it.” The complainants said she felt “disgusted” by the Church and the flagrant cover-up of its abuses.
With Reuters, AFP and AP
