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A recent investigation found that a French clergy near Nantes, France, sexually assaulted more than 200,000 children over a 70-year period since 1950.
The peak of the abuse was between 1950 and 1970, with an obvious resurgence in the early 1990s.
Jean-Marc Suave, the commissioner in charge of the investigation, said that “the church has shown total indifference, even cruelty, towards those who have suffered abuse.” He said most of the victims were boys, many of whom were between 10 and 13 years old.
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This commission was created by the Catholic bishops of France at the end of 2018, with the aim of shedding light on the abuses and restoring “public confidence†in the Church. He is known to work independently of the church. The commission claims the church must take responsibility for what happened, the commission said, and ensure that reports of abuse are properly forwarded to authorities.
The commission also claims that victims should receive financial compensation.
The report’s revelations showed that this problem in France was even more prevalent than previously thought, after a series of sexual abuse scandals around the world, mainly and often involving children.
Eric de Moulins-Beaufort, president of the bishops’ conference of France, said the church was “ashamed”, asked for forgiveness and promised to act.
Pope Francis expressed his gratitude to the victims for having had the courage to come forward.
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