The Portuguese Church is trying to take concrete measures to combat the sexual exploitation of children – #Portuguese #Church #concrete #measures #combat #sexual #exploitation #children
FATIMA, Portugal, March 3 (Reuters) – Portugal’s Catholic Church announced on Friday that it was taking steps to combat child sexual abuse within the church – but it said it would not suspend suspected priests still in active roles unless the facts against them are clearly established. he said. .
The head of the Portuguese Episcopal Conference (CEP), Jose Ornelas, also said that the church would not pay compensation to the victims.
On Friday, the CEP met to discuss solutions to the problem, which said last month that at least 4,815 children had been sexually abused by members of the Roman Catholic Church in Portugal – mostly priests – over a 70-year period.
The report by the church-sponsored, year-long commission added that its findings were “the tip of the iceberg” and that the commission’s head, Pedro Strecht, was accused of child sexual abuse. 10More than 0 pastors remain active in church roles, he said.
in Mozambique in 2011 child under investigation by state prosecutors for covering up sexual abuse at her home, but any law Ornelas, who denied wrongdoing, at a press conference on Friday court he said that “no one is guilty” until such a decision is made.
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The church said it had received a list of alleged abusers and would use that list to investigate the matter.
“We have to find these cases and really establish the truth of the facts (but) only with a list of names… It’s very difficult,” Ornelas said.
I cannot remove someone from the ministry because someone said, “This person cursed someone.”
CEP spokesman Manuel Barbosa said there would be “zero tolerance” for abusers and those who cover up abuse.
Among the measures agreed to by the CEP are Barbosa, the Church’s “spiritual, psychological and psychiatric” support for victims. offer said he will and will be honored with a memorial to be unveiled at this year’s World Youth Day in Lisbon this summer.
“We apologize once again to all the victims of the painful sexual assault,” Barbosa said. “We also reaffirm our intention to do everything possible to prevent abuses from happening again.”
Barbosa said a Church-backed group will be formed to continue listening to abuse victims.
Britain National Keith Porteous Wood, president of the Secular Society and a longtime advocate for victims of clerical abuse, told Reuters that Church-sponsored commissions have faced “obstacles.”
“To examine 70 years in one year is unrealistic, and you can’t help but wonder if this application … is actually an attempt to ensure that as little information as possible is given out,” Wood said.
Wood said a new commission should be created, preferably led by state judges.
Reporting by Catarina Demony and Miguel Pereira Editing by Hugh Lawson
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Catarina Demony
2023-03-04 01:38:28
Source – reuters
Translation“24 HOURS”