Hundreds of church sexual abuse victims 'just tip of iceberg', Portuguese panel says

By Catarina Demony

LISBON – A fee investigating youngster sexual abuse within the Portuguese Catholic Church stated on Tuesday the practically 300 testimonies of alleged victims it has collected to this point have been “simply the tip of the iceberg”.

“There have been a number of instances of sexual abuse of youngsters and youngsters previously,” stated the top of the fee, youngster psychiatrist Pedro Strecht, explaining that greater than half of the 290 testimonies point out “many extra victims”.

The abuse allegations have come from folks born between 1933 and 2009, from numerous backgrounds, from each area of the nation and likewise from Portuguese nationals residing in different European nations, america, Mexico and Canada.

Many of the alleged victims are males, and have been sexually abused as early as after they have been 2-years-old.

The fee began its work in January after a report by a fee in France revealed final yr round 3,000 monks and non secular officers sexually abused greater than 200,000 youngsters over the previous 70 years.

The fee, which has its personal web site and telephone line, depends on alleged victims to come back ahead, but additionally on entry to historic information from dioceses. They hope to current the report by the top of this yr.

A group of specialists is working with the dioceses to realize entry to the information.

Sociologist Ana Nunes de Almeida stated the fee requested interviews with Portugal’s 21 bishops however solely 12 have agreed to talk to this point.

“The quantity (of victims) doesn’t cease right here… we're simply on the tip of the iceberg,” Almeida stated.

From the 290 testimonies, 16 have been despatched to the general public prosecutors’ workplace for investigation as all others have been dedicated over 20 years in the past and authorized proceedings can not be initiated.

However Strecht stated the fee has already “recognized indicators” of canopy up instances of sexual abuse together with by bishops who stay energetic in church roles.

He stated alleged victims have been abused in numerous contexts, together with in Catholic colleges, catechism lessons and through confession.