More than 200,000 children in Spain are believed to have experienced sexual abuse perpetrated by the country's Catholic clergy, according to a report by an independent commission.
This startling revelation emerged from an unprecedented public investigation led by Spain's ombudsman, who underscored the "devastating impact" on the victims.
Angel Gabilondo, the ombudsman, also criticized the Church for its inaction and attempts to conceal or deny the extent of the abuse. He emphasized the role of silence in enabling these abuses, saying, "What has happened has been possible because of that silence."
The comprehensive 700-page report, commissioned by Spain's Congress last year, is based on a survey conducted with 800,000 members of the public. It revealed that 0.6% of the adult population, equivalent to approximately 39 million people, reported having experienced sexual abuse as children at the hands of clergy members. This percentage increased to 1.13%, exceeding 400,000 people, when instances of alleged abuse by lay individuals within Church-affiliated institutions were included.
Mr. Gabilondo cautioned that these numbers should be approached with care.
The report also featured statements from over 487 individuals who had suffered abuse, shedding light on the emotional toll it exacted. Mr. Gabilondo emphasized that "there are people who have [died by] suicide... people who have never put their lives back together." He stressed the urgency of addressing the prolonged suffering and isolation that, in one way or another, had been concealed by an unjust silence.
The ombudsman proposed the establishment of a state fund to provide compensation to abuse survivors.
The official inquiry into child sexual abuse within Spain's Catholic Church followed an investigation initiated by the El Pais newspaper in 2018. This investigation led to the creation of a database containing information on over 1,000 alleged cases of abuse, and a report on its findings was published in 2021.
Although Mr. Gabilondo acknowledged that the Church had to some extent cooperated with the commission, he noted the Church's lack of enthusiasm in assisting with the report and the resistance exhibited by certain bishops in specific dioceses.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez hailed the report's findings as a "milestone" in the country's democracy. He stated, "We are a better country because a reality that everyone knew about for many years, but nobody talked about, at least not in the terms that we are doing so today, has been made known." Photo by Ingo Mehling, Wikimedia commons.