Almost 330,000 children became victims of abuse within France’s Catholic Church during the course of last 70 years, finds an independent commission. The major report published by the president of the commission Jean-Marc Sauve also accuses the Catholic authorities covered up all the incidents through these years in a systematic manner.
The commission consulted victims, witnesses, people related to church authorities and studied archives from police and court dates back to 1950s to make the final report. It took two and half years to complete the report with 2,500 pages.
The abuses were committed by 3,000 people and two thirds out of them were priests. Other religious clerics and people related to church also used the children sexually.
Out of the 330,000 victims 80% were boys, says the report. 60% of the victims- including boys and girls- faced mental and sexual challenges later in their life as an impact of the abuses.
Mr. Sauve denounced the church’s attitude until the beginning of the 2000s as ‘a deep, cruel indifference toward victims.’ He also urged the church to take strong actions by denouncing the faults done and breaking the long silence. As some cases are too old to be prosecuted, he also called the government to give ample compensation to these victims.
Following the publishing of the report, the head of the French Bishops Conference asked forgiveness from victims.
“I wish on that day to ask for pardon, pardon to each of you,” he said.
Many victims have come forward to publically talk about the abuses they faced.
The report also gives 45 recommendations to stop such abuses from happening in the future. They include training programmes for priests and other clerics, revising Canon Law and fostering policies to recognise and compensate victims.
The report is another shameful document of the Catholic Church around the world, coming out recently. In Ireland last year, reports had come revealing the cruelties done by the Church and government against the unmarried mothers and children during the 20th century. Following the report with heinous acts done through the years, Tánaiste Michael Martin had publically apologised to the victims.