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Portugal’s judiciary has started several investigations into sexual abuse of children within the Catholic Church. An independent commission has so far collected 352 testimonies.
– The number of victims is likely to be higher because the testimonies often refer to more victims, says child psychiatrist and commission chief Petro Stretch to the AFP news agency.
17 testimonies have led to ten investigations being opened and three being closed – due to being too old or lacking evidence, Portugal’s public prosecutor’s office told AFP.
The independent commission began in January this year to investigate whether members of the clergy have historically committed sexual abuse of children. The commission was created at the initiative of the Portuguese Church after several prominent Catholics demanded that the culture of silence that characterizes the Church must disappear.
“I have given instructions that zero tolerance and total transparency should be the rule,” wrote Dom Manuel Clemente, the highest prelate of the Portuguese church, in an open letter made public on Friday.
Within the Catholic Church in France and Spain there are similar commissions that investigate sexual abuse.