Report finds 216,000 youngsters have been victims of French clergy intercourse abuse since 1950 By Reuters

By Christian Lowe

PARIS (Reuters) -An investigation into sexual abuse within the French Catholic Church has discovered that an estimated 216,000 youngsters have been victims of abuse by clergy since 1950, Jean-March Sauve, head of the fee that compiled the report, mentioned on Tuesday.

The revelations in France are the most recent to rock the Roman Catholic Church, after a collection of sexual abuse scandals all over the world, typically involving youngsters, over the previous 20 years.

The abuse was systemic, Sauve mentioned at a public, on-line presentation of the report.

The Church not solely didn’t take the mandatory measures to stop abuse but in addition turned a blind eye, failing to report abuse and typically knowingly placing youngsters in contact with predators, he mentioned.

The fee was established by Catholic bishops in France on the finish of 2018 to make clear abuses and restore public confidence within the Church at a time of dwindling congregations. It has labored independently from the Church.

Sauve mentioned the issue was nonetheless there. He added that the Church had till the 2000s confirmed full indifference to victims and that it solely began to essentially change its perspective in 2015-2016.

Sauve mentioned the fee itself had recognized round 2,700 victims, however {that a} wide-ranging examine by analysis and polling teams had estimated that there had been round 216,000 victims. The quantity may go up additional to 330,000 when together with abuse by lay members.

“You’re a shame to our humanity,” Francois Devaux, who arrange victims’ affiliation La Parole Liberee, informed church representatives on the public presentation of the report, earlier than Sauve took the ground.

“On this hell there have been abominable mass crimes … however there was even worse, betrayal of belief, betrayal of morale, betrayal of kids,” Devaux mentioned, additionally accusing the Church of cowardice.